Hispania Nostra is an association committed to denouce and defend Spanish cultural and historical heritage at risk. Among other important resources this website provides access to the so-called “lista roja del patrimonio” ([Spanish] heritage red list) including detailed information on items seriously threaten.
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After nearly 12 years surfing, looking, and classifying good Spanish history sites, and after having maintained since then the Lopez Martin Collection originally at CARRIE (University of Kansas) and the Spanish History Index of the VL Central History Catalogue (European University Institute)… I must admit that I am quite pessimistic about the future of Spanish history in the web.
It is my impression (maybe wrong) that the large majority of specialist and scholars that have been dealing in one way or another with Spanish history issues on the web over the last few years have begun to overlook and neglect ”non-academic” ways of approaching and tackling research issues and analytical questions. In general, there is scarce scientific and technical level in the majority of individuals and a growing lack of interest for long-term high quality web projects in the institutional side.
As result of that, the web scenario for Early Modern Spanish history remains, generally speaking, flat and underdeveloped (with some exceptions of course). As an anectdote, it is striking that after all these years the first page that comes up in the majority of search engines when looking for “Spanish History” is still the “Sí, Spain” service created in May 1994 by the Spanish embassy in Canada! From a historical point of view the page offers nothing but a short chronology of Spanish history facts.
Ironically, if we search for “Historia de Espana”, the result page gives us again on top the above mentioned “Sí, Spain”… followed by a decent site on Spanish history maintaned and sponsored by the town council of the La Puebla de Alfidén (Aragon).
Where are the so-called “professional” historians?
I am sure that everything and everybody out there are not that “bad”… (crossing fingers)
As in the past, I am trying to collect again high-quality projects and initiatives, with particular reference to Early Modern Spanish History, while I do also try to develop my own projects on Hispano-Dutch history. I hope it will not be necessary to wait for another ten years to see any substantial changes.
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