Spanish Society for the History of Science and Technology

The Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas (SEHCYT) is a Spanish non-profit scientific association dedicated to the promotion and study of the history of science and technology. It was constituted in 1974 and formally registered in 1976 under the name Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias (SEHC), adopting its current name in 1986. The society brings together scholars, researchers and enthusiasts interested in the historical development of scientific and technical knowledge, and it serves as a national forum for research, teaching and dissemination in this field. The society's main activities include the publication of the peer-reviewed journal Llull: Revista de la Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas, which has been published since 1977 and is rated as "Excellent" by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) since 2011. It also publishes monographic volumes based on its congresses and symposia, covering themes such as science education, naval construction and industrial archaeology. SEHCYT organizes a national congress every three years since 1978, as well as symposia on the teaching and history of science, and participates in national and international meetings, including events dedicated to the figure of Rey Pastor. Governance is provided by a board (junta de gobierno) composed of a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer and three members, elected every three years and limited to two consecutive terms. Since 2001 the society's headquarters have been located at the University of La Rioja. The society is a member of the international community of historians of science and has organized major international events, notably the XIX International Congress of the History of Science held in Zaragoza in 1993 in collaboration with the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, the Ministry of Culture, the University of Zaragoza and the Provincial Council of Zaragoza. As a non-profit association, SEHCYT does not operate for commercial gain; its "products" are scholarly publications, congresses and academic networks. It remains active and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026, marking five decades of continuous contribution to the history of science and technology in Spain.

The Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas (SEHCYT) was founded in 1976, initially under the name Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias (SEHC). Its constitutive meeting took place on 30 October 1974 at the home of Santiago Garma, who became member number 1 and the first president. At that meeting, the first statutes were drafted and the first board was completed with José Luis Peset Reig (vice-president), Antonio Coloma Jerez (secretary), Juan Sisinio Pérez Garzón (treasurer), and Fernando Muñoz Valcarcel, Gustavo Fabra Barreiro and Milagros Moreno Somarriba as members. On 19 May 1976, the Ministry of the Interior approved the registration of the society in the Register of Associations. The first board meeting was held at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Valencia in October 1976. The first general assembly took place in February 1977 at the Colegio Mayor Mendel in Madrid, and the first scientific meeting was held at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Granada in May 1977. The society's international presentation was made in Edinburgh in August 1977 during the XV International Congress of the History of Science. The first formal congress of the society was held at the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences in Madrid in December 1978. In 1985, at an extraordinary general assembly on 13 December, the society approved a change of name and new statutes. These changes were ratified at another extraordinary general assembly on 15 April 1994, and the Ministry of the Interior approved the new name on 9 June 1994. However, according to the Spanish Wikipedia, the current name was adopted ten years after the founding, in 1986. The society has been publishing the journal Llull since 1977, with an annual volume of one or two issues, and it also publishes monographic volumes from its congresses and symposia. In 1993, the society organized the XIX International Congress of the History of Science in Zaragoza, in collaboration with the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, the Ministry of Culture, the University of Zaragoza and the Provincial Council of Zaragoza. Since 2001, the society's headquarters have been at the University of La Rioja. The society continues to organize a national congress every three years since 1978, as well as symposia on the teaching and history of science, and participates in national and international meetings, including several dedicated to the figure of Rey Pastor. In 2026, the society celebrated its 50th anniversary.

• Constitutive meeting held at Santiago Garma's home; first statutes drafted and first board formed.

• Ministry of the Interior approves registration of the society in the Register of Associations.

• First board meeting held at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia.

• First general assembly held at Colegio Mayor Mendel, Madrid.

• First scientific meeting held at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada.

• International presentation at the XV International Congress of the History of Science in Edinburgh.

• Journal Llull begins publication.

• First formal congress held at the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Madrid.

• Extraordinary general assembly approves name change and new statutes.

• Society adopts its current name, Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas.

• Organizes the XIX International Congress of the History of Science in Zaragoza.

• Ministry of the Interior approves the name change.

• Society headquarters established at the University of La Rioja.

• Llull journal rated as 'Excellent' by FECYT.

• Society celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Spain's leading scholarly society for the history of science and technology, known for its FECYT-rated journal Llull and its triennial national congress.

• Llull: Revista de la Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas

  Peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1977, with annual volumes of one or two issues, open access, and rated 'Excellent' by FECYT since 2011.

• Monographic volumes

  Volumes collecting contributions from the society's congresses and symposia, covering topics such as science education, naval construction and industrial archaeology.

1. 1SEHCYT — Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicassehcyt.es
2. 2Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas - Wikipediaes.wikipedia.org
3. 3Sociedad Española de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Técnicas - Wikidatawikidata.org