INSTITUTO DE HISTORIA Y CULTURA MILITAR

What is the Military History & Culture Institute?

Organisation

See organisation chart

The Military History & Culture Institute reports directly to the Chief of the Army Staff and is a directorate-level body integrated into Army Headquarters.
 

The Institute oversees all organisations in charge of the historical, cultural, documentary and bibliographic heritage and movable military property at all Army units, centres and bodies.
 

Functionally, the Institute reports to the Sub-Directorate General for Historic and Artistic Heritage of the Ministry of Defence.

Tasks and duties of the Institute.

The Military History & Culture Institute is charged with the protection, preservation, research and promotion of the historical, cultural, documentary and bibliographical heritage of the Spanish Army, as well as its movable property. As such, it undertakes the following tasks::

Advising the Chief of the Army Staff on the general activities and tasks of the Cultural Action System, drafting technical reports and proposals either on request or on its own initiative.

Carrying out the functional programmes established in the General Plan.

Ensuring the preservation and safeguard of the military and historical heritage.

Taking part in the preservation and safeguard of the Army’s movable property.

Coordinating the preparation and update of directories, logs, inventories, catalogues, etc. of the Army historical heritage as well as its digitalisation.

Promoting new acquisitions for the Army historical heritage fund.

Protecting said heritage from plunder.

Disseminating knowledge of the Army historical heritage.

Guaranteeing that all citizens have access to the Army historical heritage, subject to restrictions dictated by the preservation of the assets in custody and by the duties of the Institute.

Enabling and promoting the study of the Army historical heritage by researchers.

Promoting the exchange of cultural, technical and scientific information about said heritage with other organisations, civilian or military, public or private.

Monitoring organisations which implement policies or provide services related to the Army historical heritage.

Ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations applicable to Army archives, libraries and museums.

Managing the private or public assets entrusted to military archives, libraries and museums in accordance with the established rules and regulations.

Whenever necessary, seeking ministerial orders for the temporary exit of pieces from the archives, libraries, museums and other establishments holding military historical heritage assets.

Reviewing and processing applications for access to documents excluded from public consultation as per current regulations on military archives.

Safeguarding the records of the Operational Units which have been dissolved and keeping up to date those of existing Operational Units.

Administering the budgetary resources it has been allocated.

Representing the Army in the bodies and committees related to matters within its jurisdiction it has been explicitly assigned.

Enacting and coordinating specific regulations and technical norms in matters under its responsibility and carrying out inspections in all bodies within the Cultural Action System.

Archiving, inventorying, editing and publishing documents and historical essays on the military and the profession of arms.

Welcoming and fomenting research on issues related to the military: thought, institutions, conflicts, prominent figures, traditions and customs.

Disseminating the history of our Army among both soldiers and wider society.

Suggesting names and emblems for units.

Cultivating relationships with public bodies and civilian and military associations dealing with history in general and with military history in particular, as well as with academic institutions specialised in the issue.

Promoting the ongoing training of the personnel working at the Army archives, libraries and museums.

Carrying out any other task it is legally entrusted with.

 Regulations

• Ministerial Order 220/1997 (Official State Gazette BOE 278, 20 November 1997).
• General Plan on International Affairs 2011 (PG II-2011)
• Official Defence Gazette BOD 196, 6 October 2011.

Courses taught at the Military History & Culture Institute

- Music History & Aesthetics.
- Armament.
- Vexillology.
- Heraldry.
- Fortification.
- Uniformology.
- Heritage (NEW)

History conferences and seminars

The Peninsular War (Spanish War of Independence).
Intelligence services.
Monographs.