Francisco de Paula Oller Simón (1860–1940) was a Spanish and Argentinean publisher. Politically he supported the Carlist cause. He is known mostly as owner, manager and the moving spirit behind numerous Traditionalist periodicals, mostly El Legitimista Español (1898–1912) and España (1915–1929), both published in Buenos Aires. In Spain he briefly issued some Carlist Barcelona-based periodicals in 1889–1892; during this period he managed a publishing house Biblioteca Tradicionalista and published numerous propagandistic books, booklets and brochures. In 1898-1912 he was the chief Carlist representative for South America.
Family and youth
The Oller surname, possibly of French origin, was first noted in Spain in Catalan records from the 11th century;Apellido Oller, [in:] Instituto de Historia Familair service, available here however, there is close to nothing known about Oller's distant ancestors. His paternal grandparents were Manuel Oller from Barcelona and Rosa Pallarol from San Vicente dels Horts, yet their social position remains unclear;Canal 2024, p. 278 according to their grandson, they formed a “modest family”.Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here Their son and the father of Francisco, Manuel Oller Pallarol (1810–1888),Canal 2024, p. 278 reportedly followed somewhat chaotic secondary education curriculum“cursá sols algunas assignaturas de segona ensenyansa”, Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here and ascended to middle strata, though it is not certain what he was doing for a living. In parish books he was recorded as “propietario”Canal 2024, p. 278 and apparently he had enough financial means to engage in legitimist and Catholic propaganda and charity;he co-founded Sociedad Católica d’amichs del poble, Ateneo Católico-Monárquico, Juventud Católica, and numerous charity initiatives, mostly related to his Nuestra Señora del Carmen parish; in 1870 he formed Juntas Carlistas in Barcelona, Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here. He was “uno de los propagandistas católicos y monárquicos de más empuje de Barcelona”, Canal 2024, p. 278 fearing his economic contribution to the Carlist war effort, during the Third Carlist War the government embargoed his property.Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here At unspecified date Manuel married Concepción Simón Ramonich (1824–1883), also from Barcelona.she was daughter of Juan Simón and Rosa Ramonich; the former was the native of Barcelona and the latter of Tremp, Canal 2024, p. 278
It is not clear how many children Manuel and Concepción had and whether Francisco had any siblings.in death note of his father only Francisco is mentioned as his child, see Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here. In 1896 there were Mercedes and Julia Oller Simón living at calle Riereta 11 in Barcelona, but it is not clear whether they were related, Annuario del comercio, de la industria, de la magistratura y de la administración 1896, available here The family was fervently religious and he was brought up accordingly.Oller’s homage article, dedicated to memory of his late parents, is singularly uninformative as to specifics, and dwells mostly on their religiosity and Christianity, Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here He inherited also the Carlist zeal;as early as 1870, as a 10-year-old, he joined the local Ateneo Católico-Monárquico (co-founded earlier by his father), Canal 2024, p. 279 following outbreak of the Third Carlist War he twice escaped from home trying to enlist in legitimist troops, but failed. The third attempt was successful, and in 1874, as a 14-year-old, he was able to “change my college cap for a Carlist beret”.“cambiar en Vich mi gorrita de colegial por la boina carlista”, Canal 2024, p. 279 Francisco's war lasted barely a year; serving in 4. Batallón de Lérida under Ceferino Escola, he took part in defense of Seo de Urgel and was taken prisoner there, according to his own account in the rank of alférez.Canal 2024, p. 280 Back in Barcelona he returned to school and some time in the late 1870s he obtained bachillerato in the local Escuelas Pías. In 1880 he was due to perform military service, evaded by means of regular substitution payment of 2.000 pesetas.Canal 2024, pp. 280-281
In 1881 in Havana Oller married Carmen Anguis Carmona (1868-?in 1910 she was 42, Canal 2024, p. 376, also Ship Asturias arriving to Buenos Aires, [in:] Hebrew Surnames service, available here. Her death date is not clear. She is known to have been of poor health, during long spells under medical treatment. In a carefully arranged 1926 family photo she is missing; when in 1929 writing his last will, Oller did not mention his wife).Canal 2024, pp. 280-281 None of the sources consulted provides any closer information, e.g. it is not known whether the bride was Cuban, in what circumstances the two have met and why Oller travelled across the Atlantic. In 1883 latest the couple resided in Barcelona. Oller entered the editorial board of a freshly launched Catalan-language Carlist weekly, Lo Crit de la Patria; it was owned by Antonio Quintana, a local publisher and owner of the La Propaganda Catalana publishing house.Canal 2024, pp. 266-267 According to some earlier historiographic works Oller founded or co-founded the weeklyMelchor Ferrer, Historia del tradicionalismo español, vol. XXVIII, Sevilla 1959, p. 151 and himself he claimed having managed it since the early 1880s, but a present-day historian maintains he assumed management somewhat later.Canal 2024, p. 282 Francisco and Carmen lived in Barcelona. It is not clear how many children they had,in death note of his father Francisco is mentioned along “sas fillas, fills polítichs”, Lo Crit de la Patria 25.05.88, available here but there is only one known, Concepción Oller Anguis, born in the late 1880s. She would later marry in Buenos Aires;named Juan Manuel Amoedo, Canal 2024, p. 376 Oller had one granddaughter, Concepción Amoedo Oller, an Argentinean citizen.Canal 2024, p. 376
Spain (1883-1892)
Except an unsuccessful 1886from Igualada, La Vanguardia 13.09.86 attempt to run for Diputación Provincial of Barcelona,Jordi Canal, De Barcelona a Buenos Aires (1889-1898): Francisco de Paula Oller, la propaganda carlista y la fundación de El Legitimista Español, [in:] Pasado y Memoria 26 (2023), p. 86, Canal 2024, p. 281 Oller focused on propaganda. Apart from a theatrical drama Combates del corazón (1884) he wrote La España Carlista (1885),the book is available online on GoogleBooks service, compare here a set of essays revolving around the Third Carlist War and largely formatted as polemics with Antonio Pirala.full title La España Carlista. Retrato de los partidarios de Don Carlos por sus detractores, y breve reseña de la organización, progresos y vicisitudes del campo carlista, tomando como objetivo principal la última guerra civil He also wrote few prologuesto Manojito de pensamientos entresacados y deducidos de la obrita ‘El liberalismo es pecado’ (1887, set of commentaries on the work of Felix Sarda y Salvany), Ramillete de flores republicanas ofrecido a Don Carlos en su reciente viaje a las Américas (1887, collection of literary works dedicated to the claimant Carlos VII), Blanca y Leopoldo (1889, homage book dedicated to Blanca de Borbón and Leopold von Habsburg on their wedding) and one translation from French.Dos Reyes by Principe de Valori, Canal 2023, p. 84, Canal 2024, pp. 283-284. He also intended to write and publish history also a history of the Third Carlist War, the work which has never materialized, Canal 2024, p. 273 In 1887 he assumed management of Lo Crit de la Patria and steered it as a vehement Carlist propaganda vehicle,Canal 2024, p. 282 publishing venomous diatribes against the Madrid governments.Canal 2024, p. 283 However, in 1888 he faced a conflict within Traditionalist ranks, caused by secession of Nocedal-led faction named Integrists. Quintana assumed ambiguous stand, and Oller suspended his collaboration having declared that “l’estat de la lluyta actual dins lo partit carlista” makes him re-consider. Eventually, when Lo Crit de la Patria sided with the rebels, Oller opted for total loyalty to his king and left the periodical.Canal 2023, p. 81
Though no longer behind the steering wheel of Lo Crit, in 1888 Oller was subject to legal investigation related to articles, published earlier during his tenure. Apart from open exaltation of Carlos de Borbón as the king, he was also charged with barely veiled reference to the prime minister Sagasta as “canalla”.Canal 2024, p. 283 The matter was examined in various courts, and following numerous appeals he got two sentences for the total of 7 months of incarceration and the fine of 4.000 pesetas;Canal 2024, p. 282 he spend the period between June 1888 and January 1889 behind bars.Canal 2024, pp. 283-284. He wrote a brief account of his imprisonment, titled Mis prisiones; it was published in 1892 under the pen-name of J. Génova, Canal 2024, p. 273 Once set free he was immediately invited by the claimant to Venice, where he spent some time later that year;during the journey he also visited the Carlist queen Margarita de Borbón in her Tenuta Reale residence. It is not clear whether he attended the wedding of infanta Blanca in Frohsdorf, though he later wrote a memorial volume, Canal 2024, p. 285 he declared himself “un enamorado de la figura política del Rey Carlos VII”.Canal 2024, p. 287
In 1889 Oller founded a Barcelona-based publishing house, Biblioteca Tradicionalista (BT).Canal 2023, p. 78, Canal 2024, pp. 261-265 In 1889 BT launched two periodicals. A weekly Lo Crit d’Espanya was sort of continuation of Lo Crit de la Patria and assumed similar, belligerent stand;Canal 2023, pp. 81-82 a monthly El Estandarte Real was formatted as “revista politico-militar ilustrada”, mostly dedicated to Carlist heroic past.according to his later private letter the review had 2000 subscribers, Canal 2024, p. 271 In 1891 BT started to publish a third periodical, a satirical irregular La Carcajada. All featured high graphical standards, ensured by artistic management of Paciano Ross.Canal 2023, p. 82 BT published also portraits of Carlos VII and his family members; some as large as 58x83 cm, they were decorating walls of Carlist circulos.Canal 2024, p. 274
In 1889–1892 as part of Carlist propaganda machinery BT published some 20 books, booklets and brochures; they included ideological treaties, historiography, poetry, military manuals and other by various authors, including Ramiro Fernandez Valbuena, Joaquin Llorens, Modesto Hernandez Villaescusa, José de Liñan and Reynaldo Brea.Canal 2023, p. 83, Canal 2024, pp. 272-273 Oller's flagship product, however, was Album de personajes carlistas, a 600-page set of 75 biographies he has written himself, again illustrated by Ross. First two volumes, published in 1887–1888, were released by Quintana; Oller purchased publishing rights and in 1890 BT issued the third volume. Highly apologetic and at times missing substance,e.g. the biography of Francisco de Ulibarri does not mention his year of birth, see Album de personajes carlistas, vol. 3, pp. 151-154 until today the publication remains a valuable historiographic source.compare e.g. the index in Jordi Canal, El carlisme català dins l'Espanya de la Restauració: un assaig de modernització política (1888-1900), Vic 1998, , p. 311
Financial disaster