History

In 1996 the II International Symposium of the Spanish Society of Religions was held in the UPF, under the title «Estética y Religión: El discurso del cuerpo y los sentidos». From that moment on, the research on the religious phenomenon and its link with the aesthetic experience of the human being was one of the areas of interest of the newly constituted Seminar on the History of Religions, and a reference point in the international academic field.

In 2001, Professor Alois M. Haas, eminent Germanist at the University of Zurich, and renowned scholar of literature, theology, and mystical thought in the West, donated his private library (ca. 40,000 volumes) to UPF with the intention of promoting the research in these fields of study. The activities of the Seminar on the History of Religions continued until 2008, when the Research Group of the Haas Library was instituted.

Since 2004, the Group has continuously organized the "Haas Lectures". In the course of a few days, usually in spring, both the main guest speaker, as well as the researchers associated with the Group, and other participants from international academic centers, meet to discuss a common theme. During these days it is customary to inaugurate an exhibition on the subject of the Lectures, or to organize a performance or concert made ex professo.

Meanwhile, in 2003 the Associació d'Amics de la Biblioteca Haas was founded, created to contribute to the cataloguing of this important bibliographic collection donated by Professor Haas. In 2016, Mr. Javier and Ms. Marta Villavecchia, founding members of the association, began offering scholarships for postdoctoral researchers to develop a research project that would justify the use of the Haas Library. These scholarships continue to be offered today thanks to the generosity of the Villavechia family and their commitment to culture.