In this article we analyze the life and main books of Manuel Tun de Lara, a leading historian of spanish comtemporary history. We can divide his life into six stages. He participated in the Anti-fascist Movement in the era of Second Republic, was engaged in the political movement during the Civil War of Spain, struggled to survive after the Civil War, was trained to be historian in exile in Paris, was to be a mature historian in University of Pau, and was to be famous historian after returning to his country. He was to be a historian of great fertility because he thought it was absolutely necessary to write down the past lest it should be forgot or distorted. In other words, he wrote abundantly for recovering the collective memory that had been forgot or distorted by the official historians of Franco Regime. In short, he lived his life as a witness of the contemporary history of Spain.

In this article we analyze the life and main books of Manuel Tun de Lara, a leading historian of spanish comtemporary history. We can divide his life into six stages. He participated in the Anti-fascist Movement in the era of Second Republic, was engaged in the political movement during the Civil War of Spain, struggled to survive after the Civil War, was trained to be historian in exile in Paris, was to be a mature historian in University of Pau, and was to be famous historian after returning to his country. He was to be a historian of great fertility because he thought it was absolutely necessary to write down the past lest it should be forgot or distorted. In other words, he wrote abundantly for recovering the collective memory that had been forgot or distorted by the official historians of Franco Regime. In short, he lived his life as a witness of the contemporary history of Spain.

Second Republic, Civil War, Francoism, Collective Memory, Annales School