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| Spanish Association of Contemporary History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Spanish Association of Contemporary History |
| Native name | Asociación Española de Historia Contemporánea |
| Formation | 1973 |
| Type | Scholarly association |
| Headquarters | Madrid |
| Region served | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
| Leader title | President |
Spanish Association of Contemporary History is a Spanish learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of modern and contemporary historical research relating to Spain and its international contexts. The association links scholars working on the Peninsular War, Spanish Civil War, Francoist Spain, Transition to democracy in Spain, and Spain’s interactions with Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. It acts as a forum connecting researchers from institutions such as the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and museums including the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Founded in 1973 amid late Francisco Franco era reforms and the global rise of professional historical associations, the association’s early membership included historians connected to Mariano José de Larra studies, Joaquín Costa scholarship, and research on the Bourbon Restoration in Spain. In the 1970s and 1980s it expanded interest in topics such as the Second Spanish Republic, studies of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, and comparative work on the Weimar Republic and Italian Fascism. During the post‑1975 Spanish transition to democracy period the association fostered research on the 1978 Constitution of Spain, the role of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain), and international relations with NATO and the European Economic Community. In the 1990s the association promoted archival initiatives involving the Archivo General de la Administración, the Archivo Histórico Nacional, and projects linked to the European University Institute. Since the 2000s it has engaged with global history debates involving scholars of Latin American history, Maghreb history, and Cold War studies.
The association’s stated aims include promoting rigorous research on periods from the late eighteenth century through the present, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue among specialists in economic history of Spain, cultural history of Spain, and social history of Spain, and supporting archival access at institutions like the Archivo del Reino de Galicia and Archivo General de Indias. It seeks to foster ties with bodies such as the Real Academia de la Historia, the Asociación Internacional de Historia Contemporánea, and university departments at the Universidad de Salamanca and Universidad de Sevilla. Objectives emphasize training postgraduate researchers, organizing collaborative projects with the European Association of History Educators, and advising public institutions including the Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte (Spain) on preservation policies relevant to collections like the Archivo General Militar de Madrid.
The association publishes peer‑reviewed journals, edited volumes, and conference proceedings that feature research on topics ranging from the Napoleonic invasion of Spain to contemporary analyses of European integration. Its periodicals have included articles on figures such as Manuel Azaña, Francisco Franco, Adolfo Suárez, Felipe González, and José María Aznar, as well as studies of events like the Battle of Trafalgar, the Rif War, the Spanish protectorate in Morocco, and Spain’s role in the Suez Crisis. The association collaborates with presses including Editorial CSIC, Marcial Pons, Ediciones Cátedra, and university presses at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad de Valladolid. It sponsors documentary editions drawing on holdings from the Archivo del Palacio de la Chancillería de Valladolid, the Archivo del Reino de Asturias, and the Archivo de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid.
Governance follows statutes ratified by members and overseen by an executive committee with roles such as president, secretary, treasurer, and sectional coordinators for topics like History of Colonial Latin America, Historical Demography, and Urban History. Elections are held periodically at the association’s general assemblies, often convened in cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao, and Granada. The association maintains standing committees liaising with institutions like the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, the Comisión Nacional de Cooperación con la UNESCO, and regional archives such as the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz.
Membership comprises academic historians, archivists, curators, doctoral candidates, and independent scholars from universities and cultural institutions including the Museo del Prado, the Biblioteca Nacional de España, the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, and research centers like the Instituto Cervantes. Categories include full members, junior members, institutional members, and honorary members, the latter often drawn from prominent figures such as Santiago Carrillo, Vicente Gallego, and internationally known historians affiliated with the School of Salamanca tradition or the International Committee of Historical Sciences.
The association organizes annual congresses, thematic workshops, and seminars often hosted at universities such as the Universidad de Alcalá, Universidad de Málaga, and Universidad de Zaragoza. Past conference themes have addressed comparative studies of the Cold War, memory and heritage linked to Valencian Community and Catalonia, gender history focusing on figures like Clara Campoamor, and colonial legacies involving the Philippine Revolution and Cuban War of Independence. It also coordinates summer schools in collaboration with the Instituto de Historia Simancas and joint symposia with international partners including King’s College London, Université Paris 1 Panthéon‑Sorbonne, and the Johns Hopkins University.
The association grants prizes for monographs, doctoral theses, and article publications, often adjudicated by panels including scholars from the Real Academia Española, the Royal Historical Society, and the Academia Mexicana de la Historia. Notable awards recognize work on topics like the Restoration (Spain), the Cantonal Revolution, studies of political figures such as Isabel II of Spain, and archival research in collections like the Archivo General de Indias. Recipients have included historians associated with institutions such as the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad de Granada, and the Universidad de Salamanca.
Category:History organizations based in Spain Category:Learned societies of Spain Category:Organizations established in 1973