Joaquín Bau Nolla

Joaquín Bau Nolla, 1st Count of Bau (1897 – 1973) was a Spanish politician.

Family and youth

Joaquín Bau Nolla was born to a bourgeoisie Catalan family. His paternal grandfather Miguel Bau Isern (1836-1911) ran a chocolate manufacture in TortosaJoaquín Monserrat Cavaller, Joaquín Bau Nolla y la restauración de la Monarquía, Madrid 2001, , p. 20 and served as mayor of the city in 1901-1903,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 20 co-founding Banc de Tortosa,Emili Llorente, La fundació del Banc de Tortosa (1881), [in:] Recerca 9 (2005), p. 261 Cambra Agricola de Tortosa and the local Cambra de Comerç.Roc Salvadó Poy, L'Escola del Treball perilla, [in:] Quaderns de l'Elbe 1 (2010), p. 11, Miquel Bau i Isern entry at ilercavonia service, One of his 16 childrenaccording to an anecdote, one of his children did some damage to his shop; Bau Isern summoned the culprit and commenced the interrogation by asking angrily "who is your father?". "You are, sir" – responded the frightened offender, referred after Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 20 and Joaquin's father,some sources claim Jose Bau Verges was brother of Miguel Bau Isern, see Llorente 2005, p. 283 José Bau Vergés (1868-1935), was an oil and vinegar trader and producer. He grew from a local merchant, transporting oil on his mules,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 21 to "el rei de l'oli",Llorente 2005, p. 283 the owner of Aceites Bau S.A., a Tortosa-based company operating two factories,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 21-2 selling on the national Spanish market and exporting to South America, especially to Argentina. Following the commercial success, Bau Vergés built an imposing family residence in Tortosa; he was also honorary consul of Uruguay and Argentina,Salvadó Poy 2010, p. 12 member of local business organizations and a Catholic activist.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 21 In 1894 he married María Cinta Nolla Poy,Josep Bau i Vergés entry at ilercavonia service a stonemason's daughter.it is not clear whether she was anyhow related to the Carlist general and organizer of Carlist hospital network during the Third Carlist War, also a tortosino, Ramón Nolla Marti The couple had 4 children, all brought up in highly religious ambience; Joaquín was their second son.Josep Bau i Vergés entry at ilercavonia service

Following his early education in Colegio de San Pedro Apóstol of the Hermanos de las Escuelas Cristianas in Tortosa,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 22 the young Joaquín obtained his bachillerato in Colegio de los Hermanos de la Doctrina Cristiana in Barcelona,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 23 to complete military service in Regimiento de guarnición of Tarragona in 1921.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 27 Encouraged by his father, he passed commercial broker exams and rose to president of Junta Central de Corredores de Commercio de España in 1935.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 23 In 1933, he commenced law studies as unenrolled student and graduated from Faculty of Law of Universidad de Valencia in 1935.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 23-4 In 1920, Joaquín Bau married Pilar Elisa Carpi Esteller.Joaquín Bau Nolla, 1. Conde de Bau entry at geneallnet service, available here The couple had 5 children;Joaquín Bau Nolla, 1. Conde de Bau entry at geneallnet the oldest son Joaquín as a 16-year-old volunteered to the Carlist requeté unit, survived the Civil WarMonserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 222 and later became an engineer; José Luis served in the army as a lieutenant colonel and military judge, while Fernando practiced as a lawyer and a conservative politician. Between 1967 and 1977 he served in the Francoist Cortes;See the official Cortes service available here in 1991 he published Crònica de veinte años. 1957-1977.Compare abebooks service, available here

Mayor

Though Joaquín's paternal grandfather was a LiberalMiquel Bau i Isern entry at ilercavonia service his father was already reported as TraditionalistMonserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 24 and it was in his footsteps that Joaquín followed. As a youngster and teenager Bau engaged in local Traditionalist juvenile organisations. He became head of the Tortosa section of Requeté, a formation established in 1909 as a sporting and outdoor grouping for the Carlist youth.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 24-5 He seemed particularly fond of social and charity initiatives, organising Christmas for the poor, working in Patronato Escolar Obrero de la Sagrada Familia and co-founding Sindicatos Católicos Obreros.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 24 In the early 1920s he already emerged as a dynamic local politician. Once Primo de Rivera replaced the liberal restauración with dictatorship, Bau enthusiastically engaged in the nascent primoderiverista structures; in 1924 he co-founded the Tortosa branch of Unión Patriótica and became its jefe provincial.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 77

During the period called "Bauisme" in the history of Tortosa,Joan Sabaté Borràs, Els Ajuntaments republicans i els anys del Bauisme (1915 - 1930), [in:] Cent anys de crònica de Tortosa des del Centre de Comerç, Tortosa 2001, , pp. 77-85 in 1925 Bau was unanimously elected mayor of the city,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 29 re-elected in 1928 and holding the post until 1930.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 33 His contribution was multifold; during 5 years the Bau-led ayuntamiento executed the plan of public works, consisting of modernization of city streets, refurbishment of public schools and hospitals and setting up regular fire brigade services.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 29-30 He inaugurated Instituto Nacional de Segunda Ensenanza and Escuela de Trabajo,Salvadó Poy 2010, p. 3 expanded local railway line and enhanced the county road network.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 30, 39-40 Much of his activity was about tackling Ebro-related issues, like floods, navigation, bridges or land re-cultivation.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 30-31 Largely successful and sort of celebrated by Alfonso de Borbón and the dictator as one of the youngest mayors,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 36 he nevertheless failed in his attempt to elevate Tortosa - since 1833 part of the Tarragona province - to the provincial capital range, the new unit to be carved out from these of Tarragona, Castellón and Teruel.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 40, 45

Though dictatorship was initially welcomed by the Carlists as a stepping stone towards a Traditionalist monarchy, in 1925 the claimant Don Jaime switched to opposition. Bau decided not to follow suit and went on contributing to the regime; in literature he is usually listed along Victor Pradera and Esteban Bilbao as one of those Carlists who abandoned their king and joined the primoderiverista version of the Alfonsine monarchy.Robert Vallverdú i Martí, El Carlisme Català Durant La Segona República Espanyola 1931-1936, Barcelona 2008, , p. 18, Jordi Canal i Morell, El carlismo: dos siglos de contrarrevolución en España, Madrid 2000, , pp. 285-6 In 1927, he was appointed to the quasi-parliament, Asamblea Nacional Consultiva, standing as representative of Organizaciones provinciales de Unión Patrióticasee official Cortes service available here and representative of the Ayuntamientos;See official Cortes service available here. in the chamber he became one of the youngest members. He kept supporting the dictator by staging welcome celebrations in Tortosa and organizing manifestations of tortosinos in Madrid in 1928.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 34-5 In 1929, Bau was re-elected jefe of the local Unión Patriótica, engaged in Somatén,Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 38 animated the youth branch named Juventud PatrióticaMonserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 38-9 and until 1930s financed a local Tortosa periodical, Unión Patriótica.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 77 He is deemed responsible for 1929 expulsion from the city of Marcelino Domingo, at that time a Republican activist in serious health condition.Josep Sànchez i Cervelló (ed.), El republicanisme a les Terres de l'Ebre, Tarragona 2007, , p. 28

Deputy

Bau ceased as Tortosa mayor in 1930;Sànchez i Cervelló 2007, p. 28; there are no details provided on termination of Bau's service as mayor in 1931 he was accused of financial irregularities, though none of the charges raised has been concluded.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 47-50 As three Traditionalist branches united in 1932 Bau resumed his service to the legitimist king rejoining the Carlist organization, Comunión Tradicionalista. Within its structures he was heading the local Tortosa Requeté;Vallverdú 2008, p. 148 as member of the Tarragona branch he had to accept leadership of the provincial jefe, Juan Maria Roma.Antonio Manuel Moral Roncal, La cuestión religiosa en la Segunda República española. Iglesia y carlismo, Madrid, 2009, , p. 78 In the 1933 elections he represented Carlism within the local Tarragonese Unió Ciutadana allianceVallverdú 2008, p. 147 and was elected.see 1933 entry at the official Cortes service, available here. He was second-last on the Unió Ciutadana list elected, Vallverdú 2008, p. 151 As a result, he emerged one of key figures in the Levantine Carlism,El Siglo Futuro 18.12.34, available here especially in the comarcas of Terres de l'Ebre,Vallverdú 2008, p. 149 though following the death of Jaime Chicharro also in Castellón."Chicharro ha muerto. Viva Bau! Ya tenemos jefe", quoted after Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 56

Voicing his support for the Catalan identity"Cataluna, señores diputados, siente y quiere un regimen de autonomia", quoted after Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 54 Bau has nevertheless opposed the adopted autonomous statuteJoaquim Bau i Nolla at Gran Enciclopédia Catalana online service, available here as irreconcilable with the Spanish raison d'etat and produced by "traidores a su Patria y a su honor".Vallverdú 2008, pp. 202-3 He demanded its derogationaccording to Bau, the autonomy served "el mas duro de los centralismos y la mas fuerte de la tiranias", probably a reference to the unitarian nature of Catalan autonomy, neglecting the provincial differences, quoted after Vallverdú 2008, pp. 202-3 and replacement with a new autonomous statute, constructed along Traditionalist lines and properly reflecting the genuine personality of Catalonia.Vallverdú 2008, pp. 202-3, Monserrat Cavaller 2001, pp. 54-5 He sided with Francesc Cambó against the Catalan left-wing autonomismMonserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 54 and supported Catalan landowners in the notorious Catalan Leases Act case.he travelled to Madrid to lobby the cause together with Casimiro Sangenís Bertrán, Martin Blinkhorn, Carlism and Crisis in Spain 1931-1939, Cambridge 2008, , 9780521086349, p. 186 He also encouraged new Christian syndicates of the Tarragona province, confederated in Agrupacion Gremial de Trabajadores.Bau claimed he was the founder of the unions, Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 78; other sources point to Tomàs Caylà as their moving spirit, see Joan Guinovart i Escarré, Tomàs Caylà, un home de la terra, Valls 1997, , 9788492147670 In October 1934 he was active mounting local opposition to the revolutionary sway;Sànchez i Cervelló 2007, p. 43 his close collaborator, Jose Maria Sentis Simeon, co-ordinated action against the rebels in the province and was later appointed governors' delegate for Public Order.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 79 In 1935, Bau arranged for Guardia de Asalto detachment to be stationed in Tortosa.Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 59