Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana (June 13, 1879, Asturias – October 22, 1954, Mexico) was a Spanish lawyer, writer, and one of the founders of the Second Republic of Spain.

Early life

He began his early studies in his native town of Luarca, then he went to the University of Oviedo to study law. During his university years he experienced the excitement of the Republican Party in

Oviedo Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located a ...

which was very common in the intellectual circles at that time. Some of his professors were Leopoldo Alas "Clarín" and Adolfo Álvarez Buylla, a knowledgeable Marxist and founder of the Sociology Seminary at the Faculty’s Library. After Oviedo, Albornoz continued to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

where he was influenced by Francisco Giner de los Ríos and the "

Institución Libre de Enseñanza La Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE, English: ''The Free Institution of Education''), was an educational project developed in Spain for over half a century (1876–1936). The institute was inspired by the philosophy of Krausism, first introd ...

." Throughout these years, his social and political beliefs were shaped and reinforced. He then returned to Luarca, where in 1899 he and Amalia Salas were married. April 29, 1900, in Luarca, the couple's first child, Maria de la Concepción ("Concha") was born. The next year came "Alvarito," their son. Albornoz practiced law for ten years. He became more active with

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

activities and wrote for the "La Aurora Social," a political newspaper in

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

. In 1909, he became a member of Lerroux’s

Radical Republican Party The Radical Republican Party ( es, Partido Republicano Radical), sometimes shortened to the Radical Party, was a Spanish Radical party in existence between 1908 and 1936. Beginning as a splinter from earlier Radical parties, it initially played a ...

. He was elected to the Spanish parliament in 1910. Following the 1914 elections, Albornoz left politics and the

to practice law and spend more time writing.

Political Career and the Second Spanish Republic

In 1929, when in the "Cárcel Modelo of Madrid" Albornoz would found, along with Marcelino Domingo, the new Radical Socialist Republican Party (which, in 1934, would merge with other parties to become the Republican Left. In 1930, after the "Pact of San Sebastian," Albornoz was arrested, imprisoned, and court martialed for Treason by the Supreme Court of War and Navy. His assigned defense attorney was

Victoria Kent Victoria Kent Siano (March 6, 1891 – September 25, 1987) was a Spanish lawyer and republican politician. Biography Born in Málaga, Spain, Kent was affiliated to the Radical Socialist Republican Party and came to fame in 1930 for defending � ...

, the first woman to pass the Spanish bar. Albornoz was acquitted of all charges. Albornoz was a member of the elected

Spanish Second Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 A ...

, and, after the king fled Spain, a member of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of 1930, and chairman of the constitutional draft committee," As the first president of the "Tribunal de Garantías Constitucionales," he eventually assumed responsibility for some of the reforms authorized by the new progressive constitution—–included the dissolution of the Jesuit Fraternal order, secular divorce, suppression of the State budget for the "cult and cleric," and other provisions relating to the installation of a secular government. He also served as

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

and

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

. July 27, 1936, he was named the Spanish Second Republica's Ambassador to Paris. By September, he was replaced and faced with returning to a Spain inflamed by Civil War.

Life in Exile

In 1939, Albornoz, Salas, and daughter Concha de Albornoz emigrated to Havana, Cuba; and finally to Mexico City. His son Alvarito, Alavarito's wife Maria Araceli, and their son later joined them. In exile, Albornoz Alvaro continued his representation for the

and with the

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

community of Spanish exiles. He was a member of Spanish Republican Action. He also helped found the Ateneo Salmerón. He served on the committee of the Spanish Junta de Liberation, representing the Republican Left party, working closely with Indalecio Prieto. He continued to travel and advocate on behalf of the duly elected government of Spain. May 11, 1940, he was named President of the Republic of Spain in Exile (till June 27, 1945). He was also named Prime Minister from 1947 to 1951, two consecutive terms. He corresponded with people in France and the United States. He attended a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

conference representing the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

government. But

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

—supported by the Church and Industry—was ensconced and Albornoz's work on behalf of the duly elected government came to no avail. Albornoz died October 22, 1954, in

Family

Albornoz's nephew (son of his sister) was

Severo Ochoa Severo Ochoa de Albornoz (; 24 September 1905 – 1 November 1993) was a Spanish physician and biochemist, and winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine together with Arthur Kornberg for their discovery of "the mechanisms in ...

the winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Arthur Kornberg. He was also the grand-uncle and god-father of

Aurora de Albornoz Aurora de Albornoz (January 22, 1926 – June 6, 1990) was born in Luarca, Asturias, Spain. As a youth, she lived in Luarca with her parents, sister, and extended family, throughout the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939— an event that ins ...

, celebrated poet and literary critic.

Works

*''La Instrucción, el ahorro y la moralidad de las clases trabajadoras'' (1900) *''No liras, lanzas'' (1903) *''Individualismo y socialismo'' (1908) *''Ideario radical'' (1913) *''El partido republicano'' (1918) *''El temperamento español, la democracia y la libertad'' (1921) *''La tragedia del estado español'' (1925) *''La Democracia'' (1925) *''Intelectuales y hombres de acción'' (1927) *''La Libertad'' (1927) *''El gran collar de la justicia'' (1930) *''El gobierno de los caudillos militares'' (1930) *''La política religiosa de la República'' (1935) *''Al servicio de la República. De la Unión Republicana al Frente Popular. Criterios de Gobierno'' (1936) *''Páginas del destierro'' (1941). *''Semblanzas españolas'' (1954)

References

* García Delgado, J.L: La II República española: el primer bienio. Madrid, 1987. * García Voltá, G: España en la encrucijada. ¿La Constitución de 1931, fórmula de convivencia?. Barcelona, 1987. * Huertas, E: La política cultural de la Segunda República española. Madrid, 1988. * Payne, S: La primera democracia española. La II República 1931-1936. Barcelona, 1995.

External links

Jesus Mella, "Un Jacobian in the Form of Álvaro Albornoz," blog, internet web cite, Sept. 2013

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albornoz, Alvaro de 1879 births 1954 deaths People from Valdés, Asturias Radical Republican Party politicians Radical Socialist Republican Party politicians Republican Left (Spain) politicians Justice ministers of Spain Members of the Congress of Deputies of the Spanish Restoration Members of the Congress of Deputies of the Second Spanish Republic Politicians from Asturias Spanish people of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Mexico University of Oviedo alumni Exiled Spanish politicians Government ministers during the Second Spanish Republic