Horacio Echevarrieta
Horacio Echevarrieta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Bilbao, Spain |
| Died | May 20, 1963 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, financier, industrial magnate, arts benefactor, political figure, diplomatic negotiator |
| Years active | Early 20th century – mid 20th century |
| Known for | Founder of Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España; mediation after Battle of Annual; owner of Echevarrieta y Larrinaga shipyard |
Horacio Echevarrieta Maruri (15 September 1870 – 20 May 1963) was a multifaceted Spanish entrepreneur, financier, industrial magnate, arts benefactor, political figure, and diplomatic negotiator. In 1927, he established Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S. A. Operadora, the precursor to today's Iberia.
Biography
Originating from Bilbao, Echevarrieta was the son of Cosme Echevarrieta, a mine proprietor. He significantly broadened his family’s enterprises into sectors such as merchant shipping, ship construction, and property development. Among his investments was a stake in The Niágara Spanish Aerocar Co., Limited, responsible for launching the Spanish Aerocar at Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1916.
He served as a diputado representing the Radical Republicano between 1914 and 1917. During this period, he purchased the liberal newspaper El Liberal in 1916.
Following his house arrest amid the 1917 general strike, Echevarrieta stepped down from his roles as president of the Chamber of Commerce and parliamentarian—his parliamentary seat was subsequently filled by his associate Indalecio Prieto. He also abandoned leadership within the republican faction he had inherited.
After Spain’s catastrophic loss at the 1921 Battle of Annual, which resulted in thousands of casualties, Echevarrieta acted as an intermediary between the Spanish government and Abd el-Krim, facilitating the liberation of approximately 300 Spanish captives. As a committed Republican, he is said to have refused a noble title offered by King Alfonso XIII in recognition of this mediation.
His estate in Malaga served as a venue for distinguished visitors such as King Alfonso XIII, General Miguel Primo de Rivera, and German naval officer and head of the Abwehr, Wilhelm Canaris.
Echevarrieta y Larrinaga shipyard
In 1925, Echevarrieta obtained a profitable agreement with Walter Lohmann to provide German-designed torpedoes to the German Reichsmarine, also constructing a prototype U-Boat for experimental and training purposes. Despite facing bankruptcy, Echevarrieta’s contract was underwritten by German Naval Command through Lohmann’s support.
The shipyard produced the German-designed Type IA submarine prototype known as submarino E-1. To recoup expenses, German Naval Command sold this vessel to Turkey where it entered service as Gür.
The catastrophic 1947 Cádiz Explosion severely damaged Echevarrieta's shipyard—the largest employer in Cádiz at that time with a workforce of 2,500—bringing production to a standstill. The facility was nationalized in 1952, with consistent operations resuming only around 1956.