Américo Castro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Américo Castro
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| Born | 4 May 1885  |
| Died | 25 July 1972 (aged 87) Lloret de Mar |
| Education | doctorate |
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| Position held | Spanish ambassador to the German Reich (1931–) |
Américo Castro Quesada (May 4, 1885 – July 25, 1972) was an important Spanish historian, philologist (someone who studies language in historical texts), and literary critic. He was known for his ideas about what makes up Spanish identity.
Castro believed that the unique culture of Spaniards was deeply shaped by the time when Christians, Muslims (called Moors), and Jews lived together in the Iberian Peninsula. This period began after the Islamic conquest in 711. He also thought that later events, like the Christian reconquest (known as the "Reconquista") and the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, had a big impact on the history of Spain and Portugal. His ideas sometimes caused debate among other historians.
Life and Education
Américo Castro was born on May 4, 1885, in Cantagalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His parents were Spanish. In 1890, when he was five years old, his family moved back to Spain.
He studied at the University of Granada and graduated in 1904. After that, he continued his studies in Paris at the Sorbonne from 1905 to 1907.
Early Career in Spain
When Castro returned to Spain, he helped create the Center for Historical Studies in Madrid in 1910. He led the department that focused on lexicography, which is the study of words and how dictionaries are made. In 1915, he became a professor at the University of Madrid.
Life in the United States
In 1931, when the Spanish Republic was formed, Castro became Spain's first ambassador to Germany. However, when the Spanish Civil War started in 1936, he moved to the United States.
In the U.S., he taught literature at several universities:
- University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1937 to 1939
- University of Texas from 1939 to 1940
- Princeton University from 1940 to 1953
Key Works
Américo Castro wrote many important books and studies. Some of his most famous works include:
- The Life of Lope de Vega (1919)
- Language, Teaching, and Literature (1924)
- The Thought of Cervantes (1925)
- Ibero-America, Its Present and Its Past (1941)
- The Spaniards: an Introduction to their History (1948)
- The Structure of Spanish History (1954)
- Out of the State of Conflict (1961)
See also
In Spanish: Américo Castro para niños
