J. (Juan) Givanel Mas

Born in Barcelona in either 1867 or 1868, he became known as a Catalan philologist, literary critic, erudite scholar, and specialist in Cervantes. Early on he explored several fields of study and even trained in sculpture, winning a medal at the 1888 Universal Exposition before returning to the University of Barcelona to study philosophy and letters.

He later focused on literary scholarship, especially Spanish classical literature. He served as conservator of the Cervantes collection at the Biblioteca de Catalunya from 1914 until his death, and he was asked to prepare the catalogue of the important Bonsoms Cervantes collection. He also became a member of the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona in 1917.

His best-known legacy is bibliographic: he compiled major catalogues and studies, including work on the Cervantes collection and the monumental Bibliografia Catalana - Premsa, a landmark reference for Catalan periodicals. The Biblioteca de Catalunya also preserves the Joan Givanel newspaper collection, reflecting the depth of his lifelong interest in print culture.