Carmen Iglesias became the first woman to head the … – HOME

Carmen Iglesias, first woman to head the Real Academia de la Historia. / Bernardo Perez

The Royal Academy History, more inclined to perpetuate traditions that break them, has broken one, choosing for the first time in its 277 years of life for a woman to sit in front of the address: Carmen Iglesias (Madrid, 1942), voted by 23 of the 30 scholars who attended to replace Gonzalo Anes, who died in March. Academic achieved 77% of the vote.

Professor of History of Moral Ideas and Policy at the University Rey Juan Carlos I, the author of over 200 publications and professor of history of the present King Philip VI, Churches and adds to its curriculum a new milestone in equality, as it was also the first director of the Center for Constitutional Studies and cream minister of the State Council, president of a newspaper group (Editorial Unit) and one of the first historians to receive academic and professional recognition in a male-dominated world. “We are going slowly. For years I said that the twenty-first century would be the century of women. It already is. The main thing that has changed, as Margarita Rivière says, is the perception we have of ourselves. But although things have changed radically, glass ceilings are very difficult. And the schools are no different from other organizations and companies of the society “.

Carmen Iglesias, who must now appoint the management team that will accompany during the four-year term, will have to deal with an institution with declining revenues-the RAH nor has escaped the Government- scissors and a deteriorating public image following the publication of Spanish Biographical Dictionary a magnum opus with over 40,000 entries that damaged his reputation by biased reviews characters from the Spanish contemporary history, beginning with Franco, who medievalist Luis Suarez linked to Francisco Franco Foundation, portrayed nicely and undefined as dictator.

The new director will have to monitor the digital version of the work, where the RAH is working, where you could correct the errors of the printed (50 volumes) version. Input, Iglesias pose that biographies are divided into two databanks, which differentiates the deceased characters of living. The inclusion of the latter also raised droll and sweetened tickets, as some politicians or those written by the King’s House on infantas completely outdated after some events as the Nóos case .

“We want to separate these biographies because, according to some, have not convinced people alive who would be included,” said Iglesias. On the other reviews controversy, the new director explained that they have been going, “making an editorial work we had not had time, so it is well complemented”. However, he said he does not know in detail the process that is being followed to move the Biographical Dictionary a digital version. Something similar happens with the accounts. Iglesias said that will now be able to know in depth when the economic situation of the house, also affected by the decline of public funds and contributions from patrons. “I have yet still photography with all the data, but are difficult times that we can be near the deficit and in which we must seek compensation for the reduction of subsidies and protective.”

the next four years, Iglesias has aimed more open society RAH, which equates slowly to the RAE. “Maybe we can do some open day because it is a very unknown institution and we have some literature and artistic jewels.”