On June 25, 1937, the Basque poet and journalist Esteban Urkiaga, known by his pen name Lauaxeta, was executed by Nationalist forces in Vitoria, Basque Country, for his role in the Basque government during the war. Lauaxeta, who wrote in the Basque language, had been a prominent cultural figure and a member of the Basque Nationalist Party administration. His execution, along with that of other Basque intellectuals, was part of the broader Nationalist repression of Basque identity and culture.

Lauaxeta's execution made him a martyr for Basque letters, and his poetry—particularly his work in Basque—became a symbol of cultural resistance. His death inspired a new generation of Basque poets who wrote in defiance of the Francoist ban on Basque language and culture. Lauaxeta's work, which blended traditional Basque forms with modern themes, was posthumously celebrated as a foundational text of Basque literary nationalism.