Hildegart Rodríguez Carballeira facts for kids

Hildegart Rodríguez was an incredibly bright Spanish girl who achieved many amazing things at a very young age. She spoke four languages by the time she was eight years old and finished law school as a teenager! She was also involved in politics, first with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and later with the Federal Democratic Republican Party (PRDF). Sadly, when she was just 18 years old and well-known around the world, she passed away.

Early Life

Her Birth and Name

Hildegart was born in Madrid, Spain. Her mother, Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira, wanted to raise a very special child who would help her ideas about fairness and society. Aurora even tried to make sure Hildegart would be smart and healthy by carefully planning during her pregnancy.

Hildegart's full name was very long: Hildegart Leocadia Georgina Hermenegilda Maria del Pilar Rodriguez Carballeira. But she only used her first name, Hildegart. Her mother said the name meant "Garden of Wisdom" in German.

Amazing Education

Hildegart was a true child prodigy. She learned to read when she was only two years old and could type before she turned four! Her mother was very strict and made sure Hildegart focused only on her studies, not allowing anything to distract her.

In June 1928, when Hildegart was just 13 and a half years old, she started studying at the School of Law at the Complutense University of Madrid. Later, she even taught classes at the university's School of Philosophy during the time of the Second Spanish Republic.

Her Political Work

Getting Involved in Politics

At the young age of 14, Hildegart joined the PSOE, a political party, just like her mother. She also became a member of the Unión General de Trabajadores, which is a large workers' union.

In 1932, Hildegart was removed from the PSOE. This happened after she wrote an article in a newspaper called La Libertad. In the article, she criticized the party for supporting a candidate she didn't agree with. After that, she joined the Federal Party and began to speak out against people she called socialenchufistas. This was a word used to describe left-wing people who seemed to get special favors or jobs because of their connections, kind of like someone who talks about helping others but lives a very fancy life.

Her Tragic End

How She Died

Sadly, Hildegart died tragically when she was 18 years old. She passed away at the hands of her mother, Aurora, who shot her while she was sleeping.

There were different ideas about why her mother did this. Aurora's own explanation was, "The sculptor, after discovering the smallest flaw in his work, destroys it." This meant she saw Hildegart as her "perfect creation" and felt she had to "destroy" her if she wasn't perfect anymore.

What Happened Next

Aurora was put on trial in Madrid. During the trial, she made some unusual claims, saying that certain people were part of a big plan to make Hildegart leave Spain and work for an intelligence service. Aurora was sentenced to prison for a long time. She was later moved to a mental institution in Ciempozuelos, Madrid, because she was diagnosed with mental health conditions like paranoia and schizophrenia.

Aurora passed away in 1955 from cancer and was buried in a mass grave.

Images for kids

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  Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira being tried for the death of her daughter