Sánchez-Albornoz, Claudio

Born Apr. 7, 1893, in Madrid. Spanish historian.

Beginning in 1918, Sánchez-Albornoz was professor of Spanish history at the universities of several Spanish cities, including the University of Madrid from 1920 to 1936. He was a member of the Cortes of the Spanish Republic several times between 1931 and 1936. He emigrated to France in 1937. Sánchez-Albornoz was a professor at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina from 1942 to 1952. He is an honorary member of many academies of Europe and the Americas.

Sánchez-Albornoz’ research, which mainly deals with medieval Spanish history, is based on a thorough analysis of sources. Although Sánchez-Albornoz recognizes the great importance of economic factors, his conception is on the whole idealist. He believes the chief motive forces of human social development to be reason, ideas, outstanding personalities, and mysterious and unforeseen chance occurrences.