Josep Fontana

Josep Fontana (Barcelona, 1931) has been Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Valencia, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University. A former student of Pierre Vilar, Ferran Soldevila and Jaume Vicens Vives, he has introduced into Catalonia the work of progressive schools and groundbreaking authors of contemporary history. Besides his work on the models of transition of the ancien régime to capitalism, he has also studied the introduction of liberalism into Spain and Catalonia. His contributions in recent years are the result of his reflections on historiography and politics. The most recent titles in his long bibliography are L'ofici d'historiador (The Historian’s Profession, 2010), Por el bien del imperio. Una historia del mundo desde 1945 (For the Good of the Empire: A History of the World Since 1945, 2011), El futuro es un país extraño. Una reflexión sobre la crisis social de comienzos del siglo XXI (The Future is a Strange Country: A Reflection on the Social Crisis at the Beginning of the 21^st Century, 2013), and La formació d’una identitat. Una història de Catalunya (2014). He has received numerous awards in recognition of the value of his work.