CLAUDIO SÁNCHEZ ALBORNOZ: BIOGRAPHY, STYLE AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña (1893-1984) was a Spanish historian, writer and politician. His written works were related to the history of his country, especially that linked to medieval times, through the rescue of the dominions of Asturias, León, Castilla, Galicia and Navarra.

Sánchez Albornoz's work was extensive and prolific. His historical investigations were developed in areas such as politics, law, economics and institutions. One of his most prominent titles was Estampas de la vida en León a thousand years ago.

Bust of Claudi Sánchez-Albornoz, in Ávila, Spain. Source: Bbkkk, via Wikimedia Commons

Regarding his political work, Claudio Sánchez Albornoz served as a minister during the Second Spanish Republic. He was also a deputy, councilor of the Cortes and ambassador; the writer received several awards, especially for his historical research.

Biography

Birth and academic training of Sánchez Albornoz

Claudio Sánchez Albornoz was born on April 7, 1893 in Madrid. Information about his family is scarce, however, it is known that he received a good education. His first years of training were at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza.

He studied philosophy and letters at the Central University of Madrid, and graduated in 1913. The following year he obtained his doctorate through his thesis work under the title The monarchy in Asturias, León and Castilla during the 8th to 13th centuries. The royal authority and lordships.

First professional tasks

The year after his doctorate he began to work in the Facultative Body of Archives, Libraries and Museums. In 1918 he won the chair of Spanish history at the universities of Barcelona and Valladolid. Two years later he went to Madrid, and taught ancient and middle history of Spain at the Central University.

Subsequently, Sánchez Albornoz went to Austria to study at the University of Vienna, thanks to a scholarship granted by the Board for the Expansion of Studies.

Performance at the Center for Historical Studies

In 1918 Claudio Sánchez began to link with the Center for Historical Studies, there he was a disciple of Ramón Menéndez Pidal. Then he took over teaching courses on medieval institutions, for more than seven years, from 1928 to 1936.

During that period he also collaborated in the creation of the magazine Anuario de Historia del Derecho Español. At the same time, he held the position of rector of the Central University for two years, between 1932 and 1934. In addition, in the 1930s he began his political stage and diplomatic career.

Sánchez Albornoz and the Constitution of 1931

Sánchez Albornoz was on the side of the government of the Second Spanish Republic. Therefore, in 1931 he was the spokesman for the political organization Acción Republicana, while acknowledging the work of the politician Manuel Azaña, he also emphasized unconditional support for the constitutional project.

By supporting the new project, Sánchez also accepted the socialist elements, and especially the independence and autonomous nature of the Constitution. He asserted that the role of the Second Republic was one of profound changes, in order to guide it to the path of integral progress.

Former Central University of Madrid, where Claudio Sánchez received his doctorate. Source: JL de Diego, via Wikimedia Commons

Political life and diplomatic career

The 1930s marked a new stage in the life of Sánchez Albornoz, who always showed himself to be a liberal democrat and also a strong opponent of communism. From 1931 to 1936 he was elected on several occasions as a deputy for the town of Ávila.

The historian was also a Minister of Public Instruction between 1931 and 1933. Then he served as Minister of State, and in 1936 his political performance led him to be vice president of the Cortes; He was also the ambassador of Spain in Lisbon just when the Spanish Civil War broke out.

Exile after the Civil War

The position that Claudio Sánchez Albornoz began to exercise as ambassador in Lisbon in 1936, ceased that same year, when the governments of the countries involved broke relations. Later he went to France, and worked as a professor at a university in Bordeaux.

In 1940, when the Germans took over France, he made the decision to go live in Argentina. In Buenos Aires he served as director of the Institute of History of Spain in the main house of studies in that country. His years in the South American nation were dedicated to research studies.

President in exile

During his years in Argentina, Sánchez Albornoz created an important school of medievalists and Hispanists. That was also the time when he was involved in a "discussion" with the philologist Américo Castro about the Being of Spain, a debate related to the identity of the European nation.

As of 1962, and for nine years, he was in charge of the presidency of the government of the Spanish Republic, it was a representative function of the Second Republic in exile after the Constitution of 1931. After several decades outside his country, he returned for a short time in 1976.

Death of Claudio Sánchez Albornoz

Tomb of Claudi Sánchez-Albornoz. Source: Miguelazo84, via Wikimedia Commons

After his first trip to Spain, after years of exile, Sánchez Albornoz decided to return permanently and permanently in 1983. Upon his arrival he settled in the city of Ávila. However, due to a respiratory condition, he passed away a year later, on July 8, he was ninety-one years old.

Recognitions

- Member of the Royal Galician Academy.

- Member of the Royal Academy of History (1926).

- Adoptive Son of Asturias.

- Adoptive Son of the Province of León.

- Member of the Medieval Academy of America (1959).

- Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X El Sabio.

- Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III (1983).

- Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities (1984).

Style

The work of Claudio Sánchez Albornoz was characterized by the use of a cultured and elaborate language, oriented to the understanding of his historical research on Spain. The theme or content focused on the search for the past identity of the Spanish people through different aspects.

His investigative work was meticulous, precise and accurate. His interest was framed in the development of a structured prose on the medieval period of Spain, which was also deployed towards the study of the economy, politics, historiography and institutions of his nation.

Plays

Sánchez Albornoz's work was abundant, extending to various areas of Spanish history. Within his writings he developed books, articles and several monographs, he also raised the characteristics of Hispanic society; the following were some of his most outstanding titles:

- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1977).

- Porras Barrenechea (1977).

- Remembering the family Nativity Scene (1977).

- Facing an attack (1978).

- In my prison (1978).

- The points on the i's (1978).

- What are you? (1978).

- Some bitter truths (1978).

- Around my Castilian tacos (1978).

- Poor reconquest! (1979).

- The diffusion of the language. Anecdotes and reproaches (1979).

- My books (1979).

- In the homeland and in exile. Two lives (1979).

- Requiem for the Madrid of my youth (1980).

- We must not forget the civil war (1980).

- Four Spanish kings transferred from Spanish (1980).

- Christian Spain (1980).

- Today's youth. Pessimism (1981).

- Santiago, Toledo and Seville. In the forge of the Hispanic (1981).

- A cruel dream: Spain without reconquest (1982).

-… And if the Islamists had not invaded Spain (1982).

- The ones I've seen in my 90 years. Another war (1982).

- Projection of the Islamic invasion in Spanish cultural life (1982).

- The ups and downs of history (1983).

- The Hispanic American. A singular exhibition in Buenos Aires (1983).

Claudio Sánchez, a lookout for Spanish history

Finally, it can be concluded that the work of Claudio Sánchez Albornoz served to renew, restructure and define the history of Spain. His exhaustive and in-depth studies gave another knowledge about Hispanicness, in addition he proved to be a man of solid and verifiable convictions and ideas.

References

1. Claudio Sánchez Albornoz. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. Tamaro, E. (2019). Claudio Sánchez Albornoz. (N / a): Biographies and Lives. Recovered from: biografiasyvidas.com.
3. Estepa, C. (2012). Claudio Sánchez Albornoz. Spain: Tomás Navarro Tomás Library. Recovered from: library.cchs.csic.es.
4. Moreno, V., Ramírez, E. and others. (2019). Claudio Sánchez Albornoz. (N / a): Search Biographies. Recovered from: Buscabiografias.com.
5. Claudio Sánchez Albornoz, passionate about the history of Spain. (2014). Spain: La Vanguardia. Recovered from:vanaguardia.com.