Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña

Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈklauðjo ˈsantʃeθ alˈβornoθ]; Madrid April 7, 1893 – Ávila July 8, 1984) was an eminent Spanish medieval historian, statesman, and president of the Spanish Republican government in Exile during the rule of Francisco Franco.

Sánchez-Albornoz was born in Madrid to a prominent political family from the provincial capital of Ávila and attended the Central University of Madrid, where he obtained a licentiate degree in letters and philosophy in 1913 with first class honours. One year later, at age 21, he was awarded a doctorate degree in history with a thesis entitled "La Monarquía en Asturias, León y Castilla durante los siglos VIII al XIII. La Potestad Real y los Señoríos". He quickly established himself as the country's preeminent young scholar of medieval Spanish history, particularly the history of the monarchy and royal institutions in the early Middle Ages.

By 1920, Sánchez-Albornoz had already held several prestigious university chairs when he was offered the chair in Spanish medieval history at Madrid held by his late thesis adviser, Eduardo de Hinojosa. In 1926, he was inducted into the Real Academia de la Historia—the youngest member up to that time ever admitted to the elite scholarly institution. By 1931, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and served as rector of the Central University the following year. During this time, he took a hiatus from his academic pursuits to join the newly established republican government, serving in parliament as a representative from Ávila, and later in several other prominent posts, including Minister of Education.

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