Andrés Guerrero González, teacher who was shot

Andrés Guerrero González, a teacher executed by firing squad, was killed during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. He was born into a family that had long been active in local education, and his work as a schoolmaster helped establish educational institutions in rural communities. His story comes to light through the account of his granddaughter, who recounts how her grandfather played a central role in founding the school in Hervededo, a small village in the municipality of Camponaraya, located in the province of León. In 1925, with the help of the local mayor and the labor of nearby residents, Andrés established the school and became its first official teacher. The political climate shifted dramatically in 1936 with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The region fell quickly under the control of Franco’s forces, which advanced from Galicia. During this time, Falangists and others who aligned themselves with the new regime began carrying out acts of persecution and violence against perceived opponents. Andrés, known for his support of the Second Republic due to its improvements in education and conditions for teachers, found himself targeted. His home, which doubled as the school building, became a site of conflict when a group of Falangists attacked it, breaking windows and damaging the main entrance. They shouted insults and threats toward him. Fearing for his safety, Andrés moved his family to a barn on his property and later took refuge with relatives in another town. To avoid endangering them, he eventually hid in the woods near his home. His son, who was 11 years old at the time, brought food to his hiding place. During the winter, Andrés concealed himself in the attic of his house. His young daughters, aged two and four, were only allowed to see him while they slept to prevent them from revealing his whereabouts. In the summer of 1938, Andrés planned to flee to France, but his escape was thwarted. On the morning of July 25, members of the Civil Guard arrived at his home. One guard, holding a rifle, confronted his son and threatened to shoot him if he did not reveal his father’s location. Andrés stepped forward and told the guard, “I am here, let the boy go.” He was permitted to dress and was taken away. As he left, he told his family, “I have a clear conscience; do whatever you wish with me.” His wife went to the Civil Guard barracks to seek information but was told he was not there. A week later, neighbors in the village of Rodanillo, part of the municipality of Bembibre, reported seeing a body along the road wearing a suit with a label from the tailor in Camponaraya. They immediately suspected it was Andrés. His wife and eldest daughter set off to identify the body, but the locals advised them not to exhume it to avoid further distress and complications. A key detail confirmed their suspicions: in one of his pockets were an apple and two chocolate tablets given to him by his daughter Fe before he left. The family endured hardship after the war, surviving on the support of relatives and neighbors. His son, who had become the oldest among the orphaned male children, started working at age 13. His brother Luis and his brother-in-law Francisco, both with children, were conscripted into the Francoist army and sent to the front lines. After the war, the persecution continued. Luis was detained without cause and tortured for two years in the Ponferrada prison, as authorities sought information about activists still hiding in the Asturian-Leonese mountains. The entire family lived in fear that such incidents might recur. In 1968, as his granddaughter prepared to enter university, her father warned her, “Never get involved in anything. If someone discovers who you are, you won’t pass your studies.” This advice came from the lingering trauma of the past, a warning rooted in the memory of Andrés’ fate.