Rafael Juan Montero 1918 - 1942

Born 7.11.1918 in Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo
Died 10.1.1942 in Mauthausen

Biography

He was born on 07/11/1918 in Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo (Córdoba). Rafael was a miner, born when the mining area of his home town became one of the most important industrial centre in Andalusia and the largest in the province of Cordoba.

He was in the German prisoner of war camp XI-B Fallingbostel (Germany), and was deported on 25/01/1941. He arrived at the camp on the 27th and was given the registration number 6624. Just over a year later, on 10/01/1942, he was killed.

Shortly after the end of the war in Spain, the Civil Guard knocked on the door of Rafael's house, “María Juan Montero? Follow us to the barracks”. Maria, with fear and surprise, followed in his footsteps. At the barracks, they made her read a letter from a Catalan. She never remembered his name, she was so afraid! In the letter, the Catalan told her that her brother had died in a Nazi concentration camp called Mauthausen. Before he died, he told his companion to talk to his family, to talk to Maria, and to tell her what had happened to him and that he always kept her close to him, in his heart. That her blue eyes kept him alive for a long time and that sinking into them was the only thing that comforted him in those hard grey days.

 

Asociación Triángulo Azul Stolpersteine de Córdoba y Jaén

Location In room