José Antonio Agirre Lekube was born in Bilbao. He was a nationalist politician and one of the most charismatic people in 20th century Basque history.

At 32 he was appointed first President of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa (a position he held until his death in the exile of Paris at the age of 56). During the 1936 War he was the head of the army of 55,000 soldiers who faced the rebel army led by Mola and Franco. Aguirre suffered the failure, harassment and exile of war, as well as their families.

During the Second World War, in exile, he helped the allies in their confidence that they would act against Franco. From Gernika to New York, passing through Berlin, he told the beginning of exile.