Person
Nicolau d'Olwer, Lluís (1888-1961)Other forms
Barcelona (España) 1888-01-20 - México 1961-12-04
He was a Spanish deputy, politician and writer, exiled in Mexico, who had a Catalan and republican ideology. He developed his academic education studying Philosophy and Literature and he was member of the Institute of Catalan Studies. He was Councilor of the City Council of Barcelona with Liga Regionalista and the founder of Acció Catalana. The French Republic granted him with the Legion of Honour. He was professor of medieval language and literature at the University of Barcelona and the School of Librarians.
During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera he was left apart for politics, period that he dedicated to the publishing of some of his works such as: “La expansión de Cataluña en el Mediterráneo oriental”, “El pont de la mar blava”, “Resumen de literatura catalana”, “Paisajes de nuestra historia” and “La lección de la dictadura”. Moreover, he collaborated with Palestra (Catalan movement).
He participated in the fall of the monarchy of Alfonso XIII. He incorporated to the Government of the Second Republic, in which he was appointed Minister of Economy. Manuel Azaña made him head of the Spanish delegation in the London Monetary and Economic Conference. He was a parliamentary deputy by Acció Catalana Republicana and defended the Catalan Autonomy Statute. He was also named Governor of the Bank of Spain.
When the Spanish Civil War was over he settled in Paris, where he helped the Spanish republican refugees through the presidency of the JARE (Board of Help to the Spanish Republicans). Due to pressures coming from the General Franco, he was imprisoned in Cusset; arrested by the Gestapo, he was again retained in the prison of Fresnes. Exiled in Mexico, he was appointed ambassador of the Spanish Republic in Mexico. José Giral named him minister without portfolio in the exile.
There he married the Mexica Palma Guillén in 1946 and, in 1961, year of his death; the Colegio de México named him member recognizing his contribution to the Mexican culture.
Date of the event: 1936 - 1939