Albert Lovett, Jean Monnet Professor of the History of European Integration at University College Dublin, who has died at the age of 55, had a brilliant and wide-ranging intellect. He had already had two careers, in 16th century Spanish history and in contemporary European history, and was about to embark on a third one, as an historian of early modern German. His premature death is a bitter loss to European scholarship, but the ebullience and dynamism with which he lived brought great joy to those who knew him well and benefited from his great gift for friendship.
Albert Lovett was educated at Cambridge University. He graduated in 1965 and was awarded his doctorate in 1969 for work on the government of Philip II. He spent a deeply satisfying year at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne as Sir James Knott Research Fellow in 1969-70 and made use of the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of Spanish archives. He joined the Department of Modern History at University College Dublin in 1970 and spent the rest of his career at University College. He was elected to the Jean Monnet chair in 1995; he cherished this post deeply, for it recognised his unique contribution to the study of European history and gave him the professional recognition that he craved.
As a doctoral student, he showed the commitment to languages and to archival work that was to mark the whole of his career. He was profoundly influenced by the French historians of the Annales School - Braudel, Febvre, Le Roy Ladurie chief among them. He was thrilled by the range of their inquiry, the sense of geography that they incorporated into the analysis of social structures. It was in this spirit that he made a conscious effort to open up a number of private archives in Spain that held correspondence of Philip II and his ministers.
It was also in the spirit of the French historians that Lovett developed his brilliant linguistic skill in order to make the fullest use of his archives. To English and Spanish - the language of his beloved mother - he added German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese. He believed passionately in Europe and was profoundly knowledgeable about its culture. He was also deeply affected by its politics, most latterly enraged by the incompetence of politicians when confronted with the tragedy in Kosovo. He travelled incessantly, concerned to see history on the ground. In the end, perhaps, he travelled too much for his own good.
He was a brilliant essayist. It was his custom to take an individual and to develop a theme through studying his life, or a part of it; he thus treated of Mateo Vazquez, Antonio Perez, Juan de Ovando and Luis de Requiesens among others, key characters in the development of Philip II's government. but above all, brooding behind these men, was the giant figure of Philip II. Lovett was fascinated by him and wrote powerfully about the king's personality and his political strengths and weaknesses.
He specialised in financial history, and his essays on the state bankruptcy of 1575 and the establishment of the millions tax in 1590 are among the strongest of his pieces. He developed his work on Spanish government in Philip II and Mateo Vazguez de Leca: The Government of Spain 1572- 1592 (Geneva, 1977), an intensely-written book based exclusively on documents that Lovett had discovered himself. Although he was prodigiously read, at this stage in his career he was obsessed by the need to publish a work for which be bore sole responsibility. He followed this up with two text books, Europe 1453-1610 (Dublin 1978) and Spain under the Early Hapsburgs, 1516-1598 (Oxford, 1986) in which he demonstrated the breadth of his reading. With the publication of these general studies he was ready for another challenge.
He found it in 20th century Europe. Teaching 20th century history at UCD led him to develop his love of European civilisation into a study of the establishment of the European Union. He published articles on the development of the EU and when he died he was finalising a study of the foundation of the European coal and steel industry. It was a long way from Philip II's government, but for Lovett it was a natural progression.
He rejoiced in argument and discussion. He was a fierce polemicist - sometimes too fierce - but to those to whom he gave his friendship he was the best and most loyal of friends. Words poured from him in a Rabelaisian torrent and a conversation with him was a bewildering - and enervating - experience. But conversation was always instructive, for Lovett was a deeply serious man who had no time for small talk.
Albert Lovett died peacefully in his sleep on April 12th and was commemorated by UCD in a deeply moving (and satisfying) memorial service celebrating his life. That the service took place in a church would have amused and gratified him, for he had an intriguing relationship with Christianity, admiring and loving it, moving towards it and away from it throughout his life.
He inspired admiration and affection in his colleagues. He will be remembered as a brilliant historian and as a teacher of the deepest commitment. To those of us privileged to have been his friends, Albert Lovett's memory will always be cherished - a loyal and brave friend, true always to those whom he trusted, courageous, brilliant and inspirational in equal measure.