Hildegart was conceived in Ferrol by Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira and an undisclosed biological father chosen by her mother with eugenic intentions. When she was sure she was pregnant, she moved to Madrid, where Hildegart was born. Aurora set a clock to wake herself up every hour, allowing her to change her sleep position so blood could irrigate the fetus uniformly. Her birth certificate and baptism act says: Hildegart Leocadia Georgina Hermenegilda Maria del Pilar Rodriguez Carballeira, but she only used her first name. In spite of Aurora's atheism and opposition to birth registration, she baptised the girl on 23 March and registered on 29 April. Her mother used to explain that Hildegart meant "Garden of Wisdom" in German, but there's no basis to that, the name was either an invention or an alternative spelling of the Nordic/German name Hildegard. According to later research by Rosa Cal, her father was a brilliant military chaplain, Alberto Pallás. In June 1928, at age 13½, Hildegart enrolled in the School of Law of the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gave lessons at its School of Philosophy during the Second Spanish Republic.
The sexual revolution
Hildegart was one of the most active people in the Spanish movement for sex reformation. She was connected to the European vanguard, corresponding with Havelock Ellis, whom she translated, and Margaret Sanger. In the foundation of the Spanish League for Sexual Reform, presided by Dr Gregorio Marañón, she was chosen secretary without opposition. She had correspondence with many other European personalities, accompanying Herbert George Wells in his visit to Madrid, but rejecting his offer to go to London as his secretary. This offer by Wells, who wanted her to develop fully out of the influence of her mother, furthered the persecution ideas of Aurora.
Death
There were several hypotheses about the cause of the murder. Hildegart may have fallen in love. She intended to separate from her mother who, out of paranoia, threatened suicide. Aurora's explanation was that "the sculptor, after discovering a minimal imperfection in his work, destroys it." She shot her daughter twice in the head and twice in the heart . Aurora was sentenced to 26 years, but was later transferred to a mental institution in Ciempozuelos, Madrid, where she died in 1955.
Works by Hildegart
La rebeldía sexual de la juventud. Madrid: Javier Morata 1931.
