Basque nationalist priest born in Bergara. A resident of Bilbao, he was interested in issues related to ikastolas (Basque-language schools); thus, he co-founded the Basque schools in Bilbao during the war period of 1936-39 and was an advisor to the Federation of Basque Schools in Bilbao.
He was co-founder of the Basque Army chaplaincy. The 1936-39 war cut his life short. He was tried before a military tribunal, where the prosecutor sought the death penalty, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was held in the prisons of Carmelo de Begoña, Nanclares de la Oca, Dueñas and Carmona. Released in 1940, he suffered exile in Ciudad Real (Solana de Pino), Asturias (Onis and Oviedo) and Burgos (Miranda de Ebro) until 1956, when he returned to Bilbao.
According to Serafín Esnaola's testimony in ‘Deia’ on 11 July 1991:
‘He was a man who possessed a magnificent archive of the war period, particularly regarding the activities of the Basque clergy during the war and the immediate post-war period. I do not believe there is another archive that is more comprehensive or better documented in this regard. I do not know if anything has been published in his name. However, I must point out that works written by him have been preserved for posterity, albeit without his name.’
AUÑAMENDI Archive