Instituto Cervantes: España y el Español en The New School for Social Research

When Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, a New York-based institution, The New School for Social Research, established a few years earlier to promote the development of the social sciences, actively sought to attract scientists exiled from Germany and from the countries subsequently occupied by the Nazi regime. Known from that point on as the University in Exile, it became a vital meeting place for European refugees who worked, wrote, and reflected on the situation unfolding in Europe, and who, in some cases, contributed to the formulation of economic and political plans for the U.S. administration. During the same period, Spain was engulfed in a civil war that ultimately resulted in a long-lasting military dictatorship. Among those who fled the country was a significant group of scientists and intellectuals who sought refuge in countries such as France, Mexico, Argentina, and, notably, the United States. The New School for Social Research issued invitations to several Spanish academics; among them, Fernando de los Ríos and Alfredo Mendizábal held positions there for a time. This presentation will examine the presence of both professors at The New School, exploring why they attracted the institution’s interest, the roles they assumed within it, and how, through their work, Spain and the Spanish language remained present in what, for them as well, became a University in Exile.