SEVEN CENTURIES OF HISTORY

History

The Complutense University was founded by Cardinal Cisneros in the ancient town of Complutum, the present day Alcalá de Henares, by a Papal Bull granted by Pope Alexander VI in 1499. Its true history, however, can be traced back to May 20^th 1293, the date on which Sancho IV of Castile created the Estudio de Escuelas Generales de Alcalá which two centuries later became Cisneros' Complutense University.

In the academic year 1509-1510 there were five Faculties : Arts and Philosophy, Theology, Canon Law, Letters and Medicine. In 1836 during the reign of Isabel II, the University was moved to Madrid, to calle San Bernardo, and was then called the Central University.

Later, in 1927, a university campus was planned in the Moncloa area on land granted for this purpose by Alfonso XIII. This was at the height of the ‘Silver Age' in Spanish culture. Teachers at the Complutense during this period included José Ortega y Gasset, Manuel García Morente, Luis Jiménez de Asúa, Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Blas Cabrera.

During the Civil War the Ciudad Universitaria was turned into a battle front, with the destruction of Faculty buildings and institutions on the campus and part of its rich scientific, artistic and bibliographical heritage as well as the loss of many prestigious members of the teaching staff. 

In 1970 the Government embarked on a reform of higher education and the Central University was renamed the Complutense University, in reference to its origins. At the same time the Somosaguas campus was created to house most of the Social Science faculties and provide  more space on the Moncloa campus.

Important names in the history of the Complutense

Many famous names have a place in the history of the Complutense University. Some were teachers and others students at the University, but all of them are outstanding in their field of  arts, politics or science. It is impossible to list them all and do them justice, but some of the most important are :   

• Elio Antonio de Nebrija (1444-1522)
• Tomás de Villanueva (1488-1555)
• Domingo de Soto (1494-1570)
• Ambrosio de Morales (1513-1591)
• Juan de Mariana (1535-1624)
• Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio (1562-1635)
• Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645)
• Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811)
• Fermín Caballero (1800-1876)
• Manuel Colmeiro Penido (1818-1897)
• José Amador de los Ríos (1818-1878)
• Emilio Castelar y Ripoll (1832-1899)
• José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (1832-1916)
• Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso (1838-1908)
• Francisco Giner de los Ríos (1839-1915)
• Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934)
• José Rodríguez Carracido (1856-1928)
• Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869-1968)
• Julián Besteiro Fernández (1870-1940)
• Florestán Aguilar (1872-1934)
• Blas Cabrera y Felipe (1878-1945)
• Fernando de los Ríos Urruti (1879-1949)
• Enrique Moles Armella (1883-1953)
• José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955)
• Américo Castro Quesada (1885-1972)
• Gregorio Marañón y Posadillo (1887-1960)
• Julio Rey Pastor (1888-1962)
• Clara Campoamor (1888-1972)
• Juan Negrín López (1892-1956)
• Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña (1893-1984)
• Miguel Catalán Sañudo (1894-1957)
• Victoria Kent Siano (1898-1987)
• Dámaso Alonso y Fernández de las Redondas (1898-1990)
• Carlos Jiménez Díaz (1898-1967)
• Xavier Zubiri Apalategui (1898-1983)
• José Gaos y González Pola (1900-1969)
• María Zambrano (1904-1991)
• Severo Ochoa (1905-1993)
• Emilio García Gómez (1905-1995)
• José Luis López Aranguren (1909-1996)
• Enrique Tierno Galván (1918-1986)

Doctors Honoris Causa

Since the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa was established by Royal Decree in 1920, the Complutense University has recognized achievements in many fields of universal knowledge and human activity by awarding an Honorary Doctorate to distinguished personalities including :   

• Albert Einstein (Science)
• Henri Le Chatelier (Science)
• Paul Karrer (Pharmacy)
• Alexander Fleming (Science)
• Ludwig Erhard (Political Sciences, Economics and Trade)
• Albert L. M. G. de Vuyst (Veterinary Science)
• Fernand Braudel (Political Science, Economics and Trade)
• Ramón Carande y Tovar (Science, Economics and Business Studies)
• Antonio Domínguez Ortiz (Geography and History)
• Ramón Castroviejo Briones (Medicine)
• Norberto Bobbio (Law)
• Andrés Segovia Torres (Information Sciences)
• Miguel Delibes Setién (Information Sciences)
• Francisco Ayala (Philology)
• Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre (Geography and History)
• Umberto Eco (Philology)
• Karl Popper (Science, Economics and Business Studies)
• Rafael Alberti (Philology)
• Manuel E. Patarroyo Murillo (Medicine)
• Ernst Jünger (Philosophy)
• Adolfo Suárez González (Politics and Sociology)
• Carmelo Alonso Bernaola (Geography and History)
• Patricia Elena Aceves Pastrana (Pharmacy)
• Giovanni Sartori (Politics and Sociology)
• James C. I. Dooge (Geology)
• Antoni Tàpies (Fine Arts)
• Martin E. P. Seligman (Psychology)
• Guy Hermet (Political Science)
• Muhammad Yunus (Economics)
• Willy R.G. Baeyens (Pharmacy)
• Pedro Villegas-Narváez (Veterinary Science)
• Fred Wudl (Chemistry)
• Marc Fumaroli (Philology)
• Ivan K. Schuller (Physics)
• Raphael Mechoulam (Medicine)
• Nigel Glendinning (Geography and History)
• Claudio Magris (Philology)
• Joan Manuel Serrat (Philology)
• Jean-Pierre Serr (Mathematics)
• Giorgio Napolitano (Philology)
• Germán Colón Doménech (Philology)
• Gonzalo Halffter (Biology)
• Valentín Fuster de la Carulla (Medicine)
• Joseph Wang (Chemistry)
• Ferit Orhan Pamuk (Philology)
• Bernardo Santalucia (Law)
• Juan Gil Fernández (Philology)
• Ahmed Hassan Zewail (Chemistry)
• Rita Levi-Montalcini (Medicine)
• Amartya K. Sen (Science, Economics and Business Studies)
• Paul H. Rabinowitz (Mathematics)
• Stanley A. Plotkin (Medicine)
• Marek W. Radomski (Medicine)
• Willy J. Malaisse (Medicine)
• Miguel León-Portilla (Geography and History)

Historical Heritage

The Complutense University's historical heritage includes important historic, artistic, scientific or technical collections built up throughout its long history, and now located in different museums and centres.

The various museums and collections comprising the artistic and techno-scientific heritage of the Complutense have emerged at different periods as the result of learning and research activities. The important collections of scientific and technical instruments and ethnographic materials are particularly interesting.

Alongside these scientific and technical collections, the University also possesses a rich artistic heritage comprising pictorial and graphic works as well as sculptures by artists and masters such as Juan de Borgoña, Albrecht Dürer, Vicente López Portaña, Luis de Madrazo, Aureliano de Beruete, Joaquín Sorolla, Rafael Zabaleta, Antonio Saura, Dimitri Papageorgiou, Mariano Benlliure, Ann Hyatt Huntington and Pablo Serrano. The historic and artistic heritage of the Complutense also features an outstanding collection of sumptuary art including items of furniture, clocks and gold and silver craftsmanship.

Museums

• Museum of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
• Anatomy Museum (Faculty of Medicine)
• Forensic and Criminal Anthropology Museum
• American Archaeology and Ethnological Museum
• Astronomy and Geodesic Museum
• Hispanic Pharmacy Museum
• "Manuel Bartolomé Cossío" History of Education Museum
• Museum of Veterinary History
• García Santesmases Computer Museum
• Odontology Museum
• Pedagogical Museum of Children's Art (Faculty of Fine Arts)
• Textile Museum

Further Collections

• Art Collection
• Entomological Collection (Faculty of Biology)
• Palaeontological Fossil Collection (Faculty of Geology)
• Plant Histology Engravings Collection (Faculty of Pharmacy)
• Mineralogy Collection (Faculty of Pharmacy)
• Numismatics Collection
• Historic and Artistic Heritage Collection
• Simarro Collection (Faculty of Psychology)
• Scientific and Technical Equipment Collection
• Herbarium (Faculty of Biology)
• Herbarium (Faculty of Pharmacy)