Eusebio Leal Spengler was born on September 11, 1942, in Havana, Cuba. He was a Cuban historian, essayist, researcher, and intellectual, known for his title of Historian of the City, which he held until his death in Havana on July 31, 2020.
Leal, a self-taught individual, completed the sixth grade while working in the municipal government and was taken under the wing of Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring, his predecessor as the Historian of Havana, who guided him in his vocation as a historian. He pursued a degree in History at the Faculty of Philosophy and History at the University of Havana from 1974 to 1979 after preparing for proficiency exams without having officially attained another level of schooling.
He held the academic degrees of Doctor of Historical Sciences from the University of Havana, Master in Archaeological Sciences from the same university, and Master in Latin American, Caribbean, and Cuban Studies. He was also the City Historian and Director of the Heritage Restoration Program.
In his long career, he held over 20 positions in various institutions both inside and outside of Cuba, such as the Royal Academy of Spanish History, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Mexican Academy of Language, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a member of several associations, held chairs, and served as a full and guest professor at various universities in Cuba and Latin America. Additionally, he was a Deputy in the National Assembly of Cuba, Honorary President of the National Union of Historians of Cuba (UNHIC), and President of the Commission of Monuments of the City of Havana.
He has been awarded more than forty international prizes and decorations and has been conferred the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by over 10 universities worldwide.
He wrote essays, prefaces, and articles on the History of Cuba, topics related to America, restoration, and Museology, which have been published both in Cuba and abroad. He is the author of pamphlets and books, including: Returning in Time; Stop, Walking Traveler; Verba Volant; Fiñes; Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. The Lost Diary; Aeterna Sapientia; and The Light on the Mirror.
For the Cuban people, Leal was a beloved and admired figure for being responsible for the recovery of Old Havana and transforming a marginalized and decaying area into one of the most emblematic historic centers in America, as well as one of the most touristic spots in Havana. Thanks to this ambitious project that he led, which involved the restoration of churches, fortresses, palaces, hotels, museums, residential buildings, shops, and other historic structures, the Historic Center of Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
He was the Director of the Tourist Company Habaguanex S.A., which manages a vast network of hotel and non-hotel (gastronomic and commercial) facilities. This company was established on January 6, 1994, by the Office of the Historian of the City and currently comprises more than 300 establishments, including restaurants, shops, markets, cafés, and 16 hotels and hostels, totaling 546 rooms of various categories. Ironically, on July 31, 2016, exactly four years before Eusebio's death, Habaguanex was handed over to the military conglomerate GAESA, belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), "to achieve a more efficient operation," according to General of Division Leonardo Ramón Andollo Valdés, who made the new allocation official in the absence of Eusebio, who, loyal to his Havana, did not attend. This sudden change of command sparked a lot of discussion among Cubans.
Leal starred for many years in the television program "Andar La Habana," which made him popular throughout the island, where each day he showcased a corner of the city from a historical and architectural perspective.
In November 2019, despite his notable deterioration, he accompanied King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain on their tour of the historic center of Havana and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III by the monarch.
His most recent public appearance was on June 16, 2020, to bid farewell to the vedette Rosita Fornés.
