José Antonio Aguirre's Bio I

This is the first part of the bio on one of the most iconic characters in Basque history, the Lehendakari of the Basque Republic (1936-1937) José Antonio Aguirre.

You can find it at the web site for the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada in Reno.

Here it is:

Jose Antonio Aguirre y Lekube

A Basque Professor at Columbia University

by Prof. Gorka Aulestia, University of Deusto

It is not an easy task to describe perhaps the most charismatic of all the Basque nationalist politicians born in this century. I am speaking of Jose Antonio Agirre, standard-bearer and implementer of the political plans of his teacher and guide, Sabino Arana. Both were born in Bilbao (Bizkaia), both studied in the same school in Orduña, and both made a great effort to learn Basque. They were both in Larriñaga prison and in exile, and they both filled glorious pages in the history and culture of Euskal Herria. This article is about Agirre, who had so much in common with his hero.

His Childhood

Agirre was born, on March 6, 1904, in Bilbao one hundred days after Arana, the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party, died in Sukarrieta (Bizkaia). He was the oldest of ten children. His parents, Teodoro and Bernardina, were Gipuzkoan. His father, a lawyer, was born in Bergara and his mother in Mutriku. Jose Antonio was baptized in Santos Juanes (Bilbao). From earliest childhood he attended the first Bilbao ikastola located in the Plaza Nueva. He spent a great deal of time in Bergara where he improved his Basque and was a soprano in the acolyte choir of the parish church of San Pedro. Later he studied music and the violin. His love of music would last all his life.

His Studies

Agirre attended high school with the Jesuit Fathers in Orduña where he forgot almost all of his Basque, but with perseverance he recovered it later. His father died in 1920 when Jose Antonio was finishing high school, and he promised his pregnant mother that he would be a father to his ten siblings, a promise he kept throughout his life.

In 1925 he earned his degree in Law at the University of Deusto, and in 1926 he fulfilled his military service in the Garellano Regiment. Jose Antonio was not a brilliant student, but he did well enough in the subjects that interested him. However he stood out because of his human qualities and his love of sports, especially soccer. He played inside right for Athletic of Bilbao and helped the team become the champions of Spain.

When his studies ended he had to give up his sports activities and went to work as an attorney for the family-owned factory, Chocolates Bilbainos, where he made a name for himself because of his concern for the workers. He introduced a series of social and salary reforms in the workplace.

A Man of Commitment

Working for a factory was not what Agirre wanted to do with his life, however, and he opened a law office in Bilbao where he dealt with labor problems, union matters, and political questions. A devout Christian, he combined this work with responsibilities as president of the Catholic Action Group of Bizkaia and director of a study group in Las Arenas. He was one of the founders of AVASC (Agrupación Vasca de Acción Social Cristiana: Basque Group for Christian Social Action). Through this group he met men who were important to Basque culture and nationalism, such as “Aitzol” and Alberto Onaindia. He also took part in the creation of the Basque cultural societies Elai-Alai, Saski-Naski, Euskerea, and Txistulari.

Along with Jesús María Leizaola who would later become his right hand man, he entered politics, affiliating himself with the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party). He soon had a reputation as a likeable man of integrity, simplicity and responsibility and as a convincing orator.

Those were difficult years for democracy in Europe. The Nazi movement was advancing in Hitler’s Germany, and Benito Mussolini ruled as a tyrant after 1922. In Euskal Herria life was hard under the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930) who rejected Basque nationalism and the statutory dreams of the Basque people.

.... ... .