Residencia de Estudiantes

The Residencia de Estudiantes, from its creation in 1910 until the Civil War (1936-1939), was the leading cultural centre in Spain and one of the most vivid and prolific sources of literary, artistic and scientific creation in Europe between the two World Wars. It is well known for being the place of residence and intellectual nourishment for many illustrious Spanish thinkers, artists and scientists, such as Juan Ramón Jiménez, Miguel de Unamuno, José Ortega y Gasset, José Moreno Villa, Eugenio d’Ors, and the younger Federico García Lorca, Luis Buñuel, Severo Ochoa, Francisco Grande Covián, Salvador Dalí, Rafael Alberti and Pedro Salinas. The Residencia also served as a centre for the procurement and development of avantgarde ideas from all over the world. Scientific, philosophical and aesthetic trends and innovations arrived in Madrid via the Residencia de Estudiantes: Einstein, Keynes, Ernest Mahaim, Gropius, Arthur Eddington, Maurice de Broglie, Marie Curie, Igor Stravinsky, Bergson, Theo Van Doesburg, Alexander Calder, Paul Valéry, and Max Jacob, among others, presented their latest works here, to an ever eager audience.

The Residencia de Estudiantes resumed its activities in 1986. The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) turned it into a foundation, whose president of honour is HM The King Felipe VI. Its patronage consists of administrative organisations, private companies and board members of personal merit. Today the Residencia is, once again, one of the most authentic centres in the Spanish cultural sphere. It brings together distinct disciplines that are rarely seen in the same institution and forms a gathering point in two senses; it provides accommodation for scientists, investigators and artists from all over the world, as well as offering a diverse schedule of cultural activities and events open to the general public. The Residencia has become a focal point where specialists from many different areas dialogue with a participating audience, encouraging critical reflection on many aspects of history and contemporary culture.

The Residencia de Estudiantes received the European Heritage label in 2015 from the European Union. It was awarded for its significance as a unique experience of scientific and artistic interaction in its historical period between 1910 and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and for its work that continues to be carried out now, which still follows the framework set by those historic years. As of today, there are 80 European institutions recognised with the Heritage Label, including the Archive of the Crown of Aragon, the Abbey of Cluny, Robert Schuman’s House, the Heart of Ancient Athens and the Peace Palace in The Hague, to name just a few.