Las primeras oposiciones “patrióticas” a cátedras de historia en 1940-1941

Authors

  • Yolanda Blasco Gil Universidad de Valencia
  • María Fernanda Mancebo Universidad de Valencia

Keywords:

patriotic competitive examinations, chairs of history, Falange, Opus Dei, CSIC, exile

Abstract

First contests and examinations to chairs of History in 1940-1941

This work studies an aspect of Spanish academia after the Civil War. The competitive examinations to chairs of History allow to test if vacancies were filled by supporters of the new government after the purges, sanctions and exile. We had observed it in other disciplines and it had been reported by the exiled professors. We used files and records from the Archivo General de la Administración and from universities, reports, press, biographies, general histories, doctoral theses, journals, the B.O.E. and the Anuario de legislación y jurisprudencia. We explored the situation of the Faculty of Philosophy using the hierarchy, syllabuses and the orders issued by the Ministry. We also examined which professors held the chairs, the selection process of the examining boards and the candidates. We outlined a biography of the candidates to identify the groups they belonged to in Franco’s regime. We followed the examination process and the board deliberations concerning the appointed candidates, with special focus on those who were best-known or uncommon due to their features. We compared historiographic data with our research outcome and little differences emerged. The examining boards acted with apparent legality and keeping appearances up, although they provided unexpected results such as when, after an examination with five candidates, the board decided not to fill the vacancy. The study confirmed most of our hypotheses and we believe it contributes to throw light on the significance of patriotic merits in competitive examinations.

Received:  12-05-2009

Author Biographies

  • Yolanda Blasco Gil, Universidad de Valencia

    Yolanda Blasco Gil si è addottorata in diritto all’Universidad de Valencia, dove insegna Storia del diritto. I suoi filoni di ricerca vertono sulla storia della cultura e dell’università nel XX secolo, sui manuali di insegnamento, il corpo docente, i concorsi a cattedra universitaria. Dal 2003 lavora sulle cosiddette “Oposiciones patrióticas”, per verificare la qualità scientifica che andò perduta con l’esilio.

  • María Fernanda Mancebo, Universidad de Valencia

    María Fernanda Mancebo si è addottorata in storia presso l’Universidad de Valencia, e insegna storia e geografia in una scuola secondaria. I suoi filoni di ricerca vertono sulla storia della cultura e dell’università nel XX secolo e sull’esilio repubblicano. Oltre a far parte delle redazioni di varie riviste, ha curato l’edizione anastatica della rivista FUE (2000) e, più recentemente, pubblicato un lavoro di sintesi sull’esilio dal titolo, La España de los esilios (2008).

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Published

2009-12-27