Julián Casanova Ruiz

Julián Casanova Ruiz (born 1956) is a Spanish historian of modern and contemporary Spain. He is professor of contemporary history at the University of Zaragoza and a visiting professor at the Central European University. His work has focused particularly on the Second Spanish Republic, the Spanish Civil War, anarchism, political violence, and historical memory in twentieth-century Spain.

Early life and education Casanova was born in Valdealgorfa, in the province of Teruel, in 1956. He received his doctorate from the University of Zaragoza in 1984 with a dissertation titled Anarquismo y revolución en la sociedad rural aragonesa durante la Guerra Civil (julio 1936-mayo 1938).

Career Casanova is professor of contemporary history at the University of Zaragoza and has also taught as a visiting professor at the Central European University. He has held visiting appointments at Queen Mary College, London, Harvard University, the University of Notre Dame, the New School, and FLACSO. In 2022–23, he was Distinguished Fellow of the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia at the University of Michigan. In 2021, the Government of Aragón awarded him the Premio de las Letras Aragonesas 2020.

Public engagement Casanova has been a regular contributor to the opinion pages of the Spanish newspaper El País. In 2008, he was appointed to an expert panel assisting judge Baltasar Garzón in the investigation into victims of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship.

He was historical adviser and presenter of the 2006 TVE documentary series La guerra filmada, produced with the Filmoteca Española. He also served as a historical adviser to Alejandro Amenábar's 2019 film While at War.

Selected works