The professor and historian Elena Barrena Osoro (Eibar, 1953 – San Sebastián, 2025) passed away this Sunday. A woman who has left a great reverse, she has been a reference in Gipuzkoa for many years to many contemporary historians for her work not only at the University of Deusto, but also in other institutions.

Barrena launched her doctoral thesis in 1988 and brought a small revolution to the historiography of Gipuzkoa. In fact, he did an indispensable research to understand the meaning of the word Cuento or Ipuscua and the historical evolution of this territory in the Middle Ages, pioneer in many ways. In fact, the millennium of the document of 1025, which refers to Gipuzkoa, is being remembered this year, something that would not be possible without this study.

Barrena questioned the eternity of history and showed that the formation of territories is a variable result of a process in which communities, social relations and power structures participate, always taking into account the environment. But he also used an innovative methodology for this, bringing the tools and techniques of other disciplines to the field of history.

After many years of enthusiasm in his work as a professor, he also had other responsibilities at the University of Deusto and was, among others, dean of the Faculty of Humanities. It was a time when women still held few such positions at the university, and she said that this had affected her career, not only because of the lack of recognition, but also because of the deficiencies of their rights as workers.

Beyond the specific university area, however, Barrena was also involved in several studies and projects on the history of Gipuzkoa. For example, here: According to José Antonio Marín, he participated in the masterpiece Kutxa-Gipuzkoa, 1879-1995, as well as in the well-known collection on the media in Gipuzkoa, published by the Provincial Council.

“History is not an immovable cave”

On the verge of sowing, articles by several historians and friends of his former students and colleagues were published last year to praise Barrena: “He was a teacher. In fact, in this gray and modest university environment, for five long years, very few of those who dedicated themselves to teaching were concerned with teaching. But he taught us masterfully. Not only in the field of education, but also in the professional and personal sphere,” writes David Zapagi.

In the same portal you can read the interview of Erro Colina with Barrena. “I think we discovered quite late that history is not there, as if it were an immovable cave. We make history today, we create it ourselves, it is our memory accompanied by firm data”, said the historian.