Eduardo Neumann Gandía (26 April 1852 – 9 September 1913), was one of Puerto Rico's most accomplished historians. He is particularly well known for his nineteenth century book ''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce: desde sus primitivos tiempos hasta la época contemporánea''. His father was

Guillermo Neumann Guillermo Neumann (c. 1800 – c. 1860) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 23 April 1851 to 30 September 1851. Civil service Neumann was the administrator of the Ponce Customs House in 1846. Family life Guillermo Neumann was father to ...

, who was mayor of Ponce from 23 April 1851 to 30 September 1851. Eduardo Neumann Gandía's most important work was ''Benefactores y Hombres Notables de Puerto Rico.'' (Vol. I, 1896; Vol. II, 1899). Neumann wrote profusely during a period of 30 years, producing some 20 major works plus numerous articles in newspapers and periodicals.

Biography

Neumann Gandia was born in Ponce. His father was

, mayor of Ponce in 1851. His mother was Josefa Gandia, a devout Catholic in the city of Ponce. Manuel Zeno Gandia was his cousin. Neumann Gandia was known for his autonomic leanings. Reflecting, in 1913, upon the liberties Spain had given Puerto Rico almost 200 years before the U.S. invasion of the Island, he pointed out that Spain had allowed native-born Puerto Rican Ramon Power to serve as a member of Spain's "Junta Suprema del Gobierno Nacional" (equivalent to a member of the

national cabinet National Cabinet is the Australian intergovernmental decision-making forum composed of the Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister and Premiers and Chief Ministers of the Australian states and territories, state and territory premiers an ...

in modern western governments) as well as vice-president at the Cortes of Cádiz (roughly equivalent to vice'president of the national congress in modern times). Analyzing the freedoms granted by Spain to Puerto Rico he wrote, '

Career

Neumann Gandía distinguished himself as an essayist and teacher, as well as an accomplished historian and prolific writer. The best known of his books is his 1913 ''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce, desde sus primitivos tiempos hasta la época contemporánea'' ("True and Authentic History of the City of Ponce, from its primitive times to the contemporary age"), a comprehensive and detailed history of the City of Ponce covering over 250 years, from 1646 to 1911. Neumman was also a prolific art collector. He had particularly keen interest in Taino and Antillean pottery in Puerto Rico. Part of his "Bird-Effigy" bowl collection was acquired by

Jesse Walter Fewkes Jesse Walter Fewkes (November 14, 1850 – May 31, 1930) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, writer, and naturalist. Biography Fewkes was born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 14, 1850, and initially trained as a zoologist at H ...

in 1919.

Death, honors and accolades

Neumann Gandia died in Cherbourg, France, on 9 September 1913, the same year his last book ''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce'' was published. In

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

there is a public housing development named after him. There is also a middle school in Ponce honoring his memory and contributions. He is also recognized at Ponce's Park of Illustrious Ponce Citizens.

Works by Neumann Gandia

The following are works by Eduardo Neumann Gandia: * ''La Exposición de Filadelfia y el Movimiento intelectual en la Unión Americana.'' 1877. * ''Hojas Sueltas: Viajes por los Estados Unidos de America, La Exposición de Paris y España.'' 1879. * ''Estudios Astronómicos.'' 1880. * ''Elementos de Analogía.'' 1880. * ''Elementos de Sintaxis,'' Análisis Lógico y Ejercicios de Composición. 1881. * ''Nociones de Aritmética.'' 1884. * ''Importancia social del Maestro y estado de Instrucción en Puerto Rico.'' 1889. * ''Las Escuelas de Adultos: Su Organización y Metodología.'' 1890. * ''Reforma de la Segunda Enseñanza.'' 1890. * ''Estudio Histórico Sobre el Asedio de los Ingleses a la Capital en 1797.'' ca. 1893. * ''Benefactores y hombres notables de Puerto-Rico: bocetos biográficos-críticos con un estudio sobre nuestros gobernadores generales. Obra exornada profusamente con hermosos fotograbados.'' Volume I. 1899. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Establecimiento Tipográfico "La Libertad" (Calle Sol #3). 1896. * ''Benefactores y hombres notables de Puerto-Rico: bocetos biográficos-críticos. Obra exornada profusamente con hermosos fotograbados.'' Volume II. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta del "Listín Comercial" (Calle Villa #4). 1899. * ''La Independencia Americana y el Gobierno Civil.'' 1899. * ''Impresiones de viaje por Norte America.'' Eduardo Neumann Gandía. (New York: F. J. Dassori. 108 Park Row.) 1910. * ''Verdadera y Auténtica historia de la Ciudad de Ponce desde sus primitivos tiempos hasta la época contemporánea: Resultado de prolijas investigaciones, libres de errores, fecha irrefutable de su fundación hallada por el autor, datos nuevos apoyados en documentos inéditos, efemérides originales, noticias cronológicas, mapas antiguos y modernos, infinitos fotograbados y retratos de personajes.' (Originally printed in April 1913 in Ponce, Puerto Rico.) Reprinted by

Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( es, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña), or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preser ...

. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 1987.

References

Notes

External links

''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de Ponce.''
www.edicionesdigitales.info Accessed 17 February 2018. {{DEFAULTSORT:Neumann Gandia, Eduardo 1852 births 1913 deaths Educators from Ponce Writers from Ponce 20th-century Puerto Rican historians Puerto Rican independence activists Historians of Puerto Rico 19th-century Puerto Rican historians