Albert Balcells

Albert Balcells is Professor Emeritus of History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and an affiliated member of the Institute of Catalan Studies. During his long career, he has focused on class struggle, the relations between Catalanism and workerism, political thought, institutions of high culture and historical memory in 20th century Catalonia. With a PhD in History at the University of Barcelona, he was a professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona since 1970. He was also president of the Historical-Archeological Section of the Institute of Catalan Studies from 1998 to 2006. He previously served as vice-dean of the Official College of Doctors and Graduates in Philosophy, Arts and Sciences of Catalonia (1980-1987) and first vice-president of the cultural association, Ateneu Barcelonès (2003-2007). He was awarded with the Ramon Fuster Prize (1992) and the Carles Rahola essay Prize (2007). In 1995, he received the Creu de Sant Jordi, one of the highest civil distinctions awarded in Catalonia. His latest publications include: Llocs de memòria dels Catalanans (2008), El pistolerisme, Barcelona 1917-1923 (2009) and El projecte d’autonomia de la Mancomunitat de Catalunya del 1919 i el seu context històric (2010). He is the editor and co-editor of the collective books Puig i Cadafalch i la Catalunya contemporaneous (2003), Història de la Historiografia catalana (2004), Els Països Catalans i Europa durant els darrers cent anys (2009). He has also compiled and edited articles by Lluís Nicolau d’Olwer Democràcia contra dictadura. Escrits polítics, 1915-1960 (2007).