Ismael del Pan (1889-1968). Archaeology, Ethnography, Education and Politics in the first half of the 20th century

Abstract

Archaeologist and ethnographer Ismael del Pan's life (1889-1968) allows us to go through the academic and educational structures of three historical periods of Spain in the first half of the 20th century (Monarchy, Republic and Franco's dictatorship) and to see how politics, science and education were conceived and transformed during those turbulent years. Lowborn, Ismael del Pan took advantage of all the new educational reforms developed in the century’s early decades and carried out an active academic career from his position as High Secondary School teacher, including partnership with high-level researchers as Paul Wernert, Francisco Hernández-Pacheco or Luis de Hoyos. He also witnessed and was personally affected by the political turmoil at the end of Monarchy, the Republic and the Spanish War of 1936-1939. Therefore, his life exemplifies the conditions, capacities and expectations of a group of researchers that, despite their secondary role in the scientific field, contributed to improve and dignify the fragile education and science of the country in that period.