Manuel Loff

Loff was born on 3 February 1965 in Porto.^[1][2] He has a degree in history (1984) and post-graduate qualification in history education (1991) from the University of Porto (1988).^[3][4] He received a master's degree in 19th and 20th century history from the NOVA University Lisbon in 1994 after producing a thesis titled Franquismo y Salazarismo en la Época de Hitler. Régimen político, prejuicio ideológico y oportunidad histórica en la redefinición internacional de Portugal y España (1936-1942) for the National University of Distance Education.^[3][5] He received a doctorate in history and civilization from the European University Institute in 2004 after producing a thesis titled As duas ditaduras ibéricas na Nova Ordem eurofascista (1936-1945). Autodefinição, mundivisão e Holocausto no Salazarismo e Franquismo.^[2][5]

Loff was a student activist and fought against the polices of the Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva's government in the 1980s.^[6][7]

Loff is an history academic by profession.^[1] He was an teaching assistant at the Autonomous University of Madrid (1996–1997), and an assistant lecturer (1997–2004) and assistant professor (2004–2010) at the University of Porto.^[3] He was a visiting professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2013.^[2] He was a tenured associate professor at the University of Porto from 2010 to 2023.^[2][8] He is also a researcher at the Instituto de História Contemporânea (NOVA University Lisbon) and Centre d’Estudis sobre Dictadures i Democràcias (Autonomous University of Barcelona).^[2][9]

Loff was a columnist for Público (2011 to 2023) and a commentator on CNN Portugal (2022 to 2023) and Rádio e Televisão de Portugal.^[2][8][9] At the 2022 legislative election Loff was placed third in the Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)'s list of candidates in Porto but the alliance only won a single seat in the constituency.^[10] He was an independent proposed by the Portuguese Communist Party.^[11] Loff was appointed to the Assembly of the Republic as permanent member in March 2023 following the resignation of Diana Ferreira.^[12][13] He resigned from the Assembly in September 2023 in order to return to academia and was replaced by Alfredo Maia.^[14][15]

Loff has produced a number works on fascism, colonialism, resistance and the Carnation Revolution including:

• Salazarismo e Franquismo na Época de Hitler (1936-1942) - Convergência política, preconceito ideológico e oportunidade histórica na redefinição internacional de Portugal e Espanha [Salazarism and Francoism in the Hitler Era (1936-1942) - Political convergence, ideological prejudice and historical opportunity in the international redefinition of Portugal and Spain] (in Portuguese). Porto, Portugal: Campo das Letras. 1996. ISBN 978-972-610-000-3.^[5]
• ——; Delgado, Iva; et al., eds. (2000). De Pinochet a Timor Lorosae - Impunidade e Direito à Memória [From Pinochet to East Timor - Impunity and the Right to Memory] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Fundação Humberto Delgado/Edições Cosmos. ISBN 978-972-762-192-7.^[3]
• ——; Delgado, Iva; et al., eds. (2000). Impunidad y Derecho a la Memoria - De Pinochet a Timor [Impunity and Right to Memory - From Pinochet to Timor] (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Sequitur. ISBN 978-849-536-307-7.^[3]
• —— & Pereira, Maria da Conceição, eds. (2006). Portugal, 30 anos de Democracia (1974-2004) [Portugal, 30 years of Democracy (1974-2004)] (in Portuguese). Porto, Portugal: University of Porto.^[5]
• O nosso século é fascista! - O mundo visto por Salazar e Franco (1936-1945) [Our century is fascist! - The world seen by Salazar and Franco (1936-1945)] (in Portuguese). Porto, Portugal: Campo das Letras. 2008. ISBN 978-989-625-256-4.^[2][9]
• —— & Siza, Teresa, eds. (2010). Resistência - Da alternativa republicana à luta contra a ditadura (1891-1974) [Resistance - From the republican alternative to the fight against dictatorship (1891-1974)] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Comissão Nacional para a Comemoração do Centenário da República. ISBN 978-972-27-1836-3.^[5]
• ——; Rollo, Maria Fernanda; et al., eds. (2013). Dicionário de história da I República e do republicanismo - Volume 1: A-E [Dictionary of the history of the First Republic and republicanism - Volume 1: A-E] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Assembly of the Republic. ISBN 978-972-556-557-5.^[5]
• ——; Rollo, Maria Fernanda; et al., eds. (2014). Dicionário de história da I República e do republicanismo - Volume 2: F-M [Dictionary of the history of the First Republic and republicanism - Volume 2: F-M] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Assembly of the Republic. ISBN 978-972-556-558-2.^[5]
• ——; Rollo, Maria Fernanda; et al., eds. (2014). Dicionário de história da I República e do republicanismo - Volume 3: N-Z [Dictionary of the history of the First Republic and republicanism - Volume 3: N-Z] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Assembly of the Republic. ISBN 978-972-556-559-9.^[5]
• ——; Piedade, Filipe & Castro Soutelo, Luciana, eds. (2014). Ditaduras e revolução – Democracia e políticas da memória [Dictatorships and revolution – Democracy and politics of memory] (in Portuguese). Coimbra, Portugal: Livraria Almedina. ISBN 978-972-40-5835-1.^[2][9]
• ——; Vieira, Tiago & Guerra, Filipe (2021). O novo normal [The new normal] (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Página a Página. ISBN 978-989-53401-4-9.