Person
Sánchez Belda, Luis (1920-1984)
Santorcaz (Madrid, España) 1920-09-11 - Santander (Cantabria, España) 1984-08-08
Spanish archivist and historian. Spanish archivist and historian. He was the director of the Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) and the general director of Archives and Libraries at the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.
He graduated in Philosophy and Letters from the Universidad Central de Madrid in 1942 and obtained his Ph.D. in the same university with a thesis on the Chronica Adefonsi Imperatoris in 1947.
He entered the Corps of Specialist Archivists, Librarians and Archaeologists in 1944 and was assigned to the Archivo Histórico Provincial in Toledo. In 1946, he was transferred to the Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) in Madrid, where he became the head of the Clergy Section. From 1952, he was the provisional director of the AHN and obtained the permanent appointment in 1955. During his tenure, the AHN moved its headquarters from the National Library of Spain to its current location on Calle Serrano, within the CSIC complex. In 1958, he published the Guía del Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN).
Between 1968 and 1974, he was the General Director of Archives and Libraries at the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. His main achievements included the creation of the Archivo General de la Administración (AGA) in Alcalá de Henares (1969), the Servicio Nacional de Restauración de Libros y Documentos (1969), the Servicio Nacional de Microfilm (1972), the Instituto Bibliográfico Hispánico (1970), and the Servicio Nacional del Tesoro Documental y Bibliográfico (1972). He also promoted the Servicio Nacional de Información Documental, which later became the Archives Documentary Information Centre (abbreviated as CIDA, the Spanish acronym).
He taught Paleography and Diplomatics at the Organization of American States (OAS) Courses on Archives Organization and Administration.
He passed away during his summer vacation in the capital of Cantabria at the age of 63.
Luis Sánchez Belda was an archivist, historian, and paleographer, who was specialist in Castilian‑Leonese medieval sources. He joined the Corps of Archivists, Librarians, and Archaeologists in 1944 and was assigned to the Provincial Historic Archive of Toledo. In 1945 he was transferred to the Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN; National Historical Archive), where he was Head of the Clergy Section and Director of the Archive from 1955 until his death. During his term of office, the Archive was transferred to the current headquarters of the building located within the CSIC and also published the AHN Guide. Moreover, between 1968 and 1974 he was General Director of Archives and Libraries of the Ministry of Education and Science. He participated, as a professor of Paleography and Diplomatics, in the Organization and Administration of Archives Courses of the Organization of American States (OAS).
CORTES ALONSO, Vicenta: Diez años de Cooperación Archivística Iberoamericana, Ediciones Cultura Hispánica, Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana, Organización de los Estados Americanos, Madrid, 1985.
PASAMAR ALZURIA, Gonzalo y PEIRÓ MARTÍN, Ignacio: Diccionario Akal de Historiadores Españoles Contemporáneos (1840-1940), AKAL, Madrid, 2002.
Diccionario biográfico RAH: Biografía de Luis Sánchez Belda / Luis Miguel de la Cruz Herranz