Pilar Careaga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pilar Careaga
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| Mayor of Bilbao | |
| In office 1969–1977 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 October 1908 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 10 June 1993 (aged 84) Madrid, Spain |
Maria del Pilar Careaga Basabe (born October 26, 1908 – died June 10, 1993) was a pioneering Spanish woman. She was an industrial engineer and a politician. Pilar Careaga made history by becoming the first woman to be the mayor of Bilbao, a major city in Spain.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pilar Careaga was born in Madrid, Spain. Her father was Pedro González de Careaga y Quintana, who was a count. She showed great talent in her studies from a young age.
She first studied surveying. Then, she went on to study industrial engineering at the Technical University of Madrid. She became the very first woman engineer in all of Spain. Not only that, but she also became the first woman in Spain to drive a train.
Pilar Careaga's Political Career
Pilar Careaga was interested in politics. In 1933, she ran for election in the Biscay province. She was a candidate for a political party called Renovación Española, but she did not win.
At the start of the Spanish Civil War, she was held in Larrínaga Prison. She was later set free in September 1936 as part of a prisoner exchange. After her release, she went to Madrid. There, she helped injured supporters of Francisco Franco during the war. She returned to Bilbao after the war ended.
In 1964, Pilar Careaga was chosen to join the provincial council for the Movimiento Nacional. This made her the first woman deputy for Biscay. She served in this role from 1964 to 1969.
Mayor of Bilbao
Pilar Careaga became the mayor of Bilbao in 1969. She was the first woman ever to hold this important position. She served as mayor for eight years, until 1977. As mayor, she was responsible for leading the city and making decisions for its people.
In 1979, Pilar Careaga was seriously injured in an attack by a group called ETA. She survived the attack but decided to retire from public life after this event.
Personal Life
In 1943, Pilar Careaga married Enrique Lequerica Erquiza. He was also an engineer. She passed away in Madrid in 1993, at the age of 84. Her life showed that women could achieve great things in fields like engineering and politics.
See also
In Spanish: Pilar Careaga para niños
