Luis Suárez Fernández

Luis Suárez Fernández (25 June 1924 – 15 December 2024) was a Spanish historian, originally a medievalist, who has extended his studies to include modern and recent history. He belonged to a line of Spanish historians that are in full agreement with Francoism

Life and work Suárez was born in Gijón. He studied philosophy and literature at the universities of Oviedo and Valladolid, receiving his doctorate in history on 16 June 1947 from the University of Madrid. In 1955 he obtained a professorship of Pre- and Universal History of Antiquity and the Middle Ages and General Cultural History (Prehistoria e Historia Universal de las Edades Antigua y Media y de Historia General de la Cultura) at Valladolid, where he rose to the posts of dean (1963) and rector (1965). As rector he founded the first chair in theatre at the university. In 1972 the government made him Director General of Universities and Investigation (Universidades e Investigación).

In 1975, Suárez took up the chair of medieval history at the recently inaugurated Autonomous University of Madrid. That same year he became director of the of CSIC, a Spanish cultural society in Rome. He had been chief of the medieval studies section since 1956; he was overall director until 1978. Suárez was a professor emeritus of medieval history in the department of Ancient and Medieval History, Paleography, and Diplomatics (Historia Antigua, Medieval, Paleografía y Diplomática) at the Autonomous University.

Politically right-wing in orientation, Suárez had connections with the Francisco Franco National Foundation (FNFF), who are alleged to have funded the publication of Francisco Franco y su tiempo (1984). Suárez was also the president of the Hermandad del Valle de los Caídos. These ties to Francoism have garnered the denunciation of fellow historian Javier Tusell, among others. He authored the entry for Francisco Franco in the 2011 Diccionario Biográfico Español, published by the Real Academia de la Historia, which has been denounced by historians as being Francoist propaganda.

Fernández was also an active Catholic and a member of Opus Dei.

He was elected to medalla nº 4 of the Real Academia de la Historia on 7 May 1993; he took up his seat on 23 January 1994.

Fernández turned 100 on 25 June 2024, and died on 15 December 2024.

Recognition (2001) Correspondent of the Real Academia de las Buenas Letras de Barcelona Emeritus member of the Real Academia de Portugal Member of the Real Academia de la Historia (1994) Member of the Permanent Commission of the Historical Congresses of the Crown of Aragon (Comisión Permanente de los Congresos de Historia de la Corona de Aragón) Member of the Spanish Committee of Historical Sciences (Comité Español de Ciencias Históricas) Gran Cruz del Mérito Civil Gran Cruz de Isabel La Católica Gran Cruz de Alfonso X el Sabio Gran Cruz del Mérito Militar with distinction (con distintivo blanco) Commendation of the Orden de Enrique o Navigador