Yesterday, December 4, Ignacio Olábarri Gortázar, Full Professor emeritus of Contemporary History at the University of Navarra, passed away in Pamplona. He was born in Bilbao on June 5, 1950. He was trained as a historian at the University of Navarra, thanks to the teaching of Valentín Vázquez de Prada who, under the influence of Ferdinand Braudel and the Annales School, was one of the great renovators of Spanish historiography during the second half of the 20th century.

From a very demanding concept, as well as very open to the outside, of a scientific and solidly documented history, Ignacio Olábarri began his research activity with a work on the origins of socialism in Biscay. The social dimension, together with the cultural one, became two of the axes of his valuable production. Special attention was devoted to the historiographic programs of study . In this field, together with the aforementioned Vázquez de Prada, first, and with Francisco Javier Caspistegui, later, he became a true renovator in our country. The work "La historiografía en Occidente desde 1945. Attitudes, Trends and Methodological Problems" (1988), edited together with his teacher Vázquez de Prada and Floristán Imizcoz, or -to cite just a few examples- "Understanding Social Change in the Nineties. Theoretical Approaches and Historiographical Perspectives" (1995), also with Vázquez de Prada, or -together with Caspistegui- "La historia y las ciencias humanas y sociales: estrategias interdisciplinares en el siglo XX" (2003) and "The Strength of History at the Doors of the New Millenium. History and the other Social and Human Sciences along XXth Century" (1899-2002) (2005).

But beyond the solid researcher , and the suggestive and brilliant professor, his deep and warm humanity will always stand out, undoubtedly reflecting extraordinary human values, built on the rock of his deep Christian faith. Ignacio Olábarri. "Peli", for his friends and family, may he rest in peace.