“War is to man what maternity is to a woman. From a philosophical and doctrinal viewpoint, I do not believe in perpetual peace.”
— Mussolini

The sexualization of women is only appealing when it's non-consensual. Otherwise, it's sluttiness.
- Linda West

It was she who advised the future Obergruppenführer Heydrich to devote his abilities to his country’s service in the Schutzstaffel; when the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ignored him, she took no heed of it, packed his suitcase and thus contributed to the enlistment of one of the greatest of Reich’s heroes and martyrs into the position that best fitted his talents, initially as head of the Sicherheitsdienst. Lina did not apologise for having proudly participated in the European resistance against Western plutocracy on the one hand, and Bolshevism on the other; her steadfast loyalty to her husband and to the cause, in circumstances of living under enemy occupation remains an example for us today.”

- Rastko Pocesta, 14.06.2023.

Ella pursued higher education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, where she graduated with degrees in Humanities and Law. In 1938, she completed her thesis on "The Institution of the Jury". Continuing her academic journey, she earned a doctorate in History and Literature from the University of San Marcos in 1945 with a thesis on "The Descendants of Huayna Cápac".

Her career was marked by significant contributions to Peruvian historiography and academia. Between 1941 and 1943, she participated in the first cataloging of the National Library of Peru and established the Consultation Department in 1943. In 1945, she broke new ground by teaching at the University of San Marcos, where she introduced courses on the History of Peruvian Institutions and the History of Geography. That same year, she helped found the Peruvian History Society.

Ella's personal life was intertwined with her professional endeavors. She married Count Carlo Radicati di Primeglio, an Italian historian and professor based in Peru. Together, they had no kids and shared a passion for research, which led to the establishment of the Temple Radicati Museum Library Foundation. This foundation houses a significant collection, including 25 unpublished quipus, an ancient Incan recording system.

Throughout her career, Ella achieved numerous firsts for women in Peru. She was the first woman to hold a university professorship, the first female professional historian in the National Academy of History, and the first Latin American woman in the Royal Academy of History in Madrid. Additionally, she was the founding president of the Peruvian History Society, the first woman to join the International Federation of Bolivarian Societies, and the first woman on the Board of Directors of the Lima Bar Association. She also served as the first Substitute Superior Judge of the Lima Court, at a time when women were not yet full citizens.

Ella's scholarly work includes vital contributions to the understanding of Peru's independence movement. She was involved in the Sesquicentennial Commission of Peruvian Independence, which led to the creation of the "Documentary Collection of Peru's Independence," comprising 86 volumes, 17 of which were her direct contributions.

Her publications are essential reading for anyone studying Peruvian history. Notable works include "El Investigador", "The Institution of the Jury", "Course on Female Literature through the Colonial Period in Peru", "Illuminated Women Writers of Colonial Peru", and "The Independence of Piura".

Ella's legacy was honored posthumously in 2022 when she received the "Order of Merit for Women" from the Peruvian Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations for her contributions to history and gender equality. She passed away in 1998 and was laid to rest in the San Ezequiel section of the Presbítero Maestro Cemetery.

Ella Temple Dunbar Aguilar's life story is one of breaking barriers and setting precedents, paving the way for future generations of women in academia and beyond.

Siamo qui a lottare e non per dimenticare
i volti di donne massacrate, il filo spinato e la mitragliatrice.

We are here to fight and not to forget the faces of massacred women, the barbed wire and the machine gun.