October 20, 2024 11:09 Read in 5 minutes
Hundreds of thousands of revelers dressed in traditional German costumes gather in southern Brazil to celebrate Oktoberfest. Although there will be beer and Bavarian music, this is not the traditional festival in Munich, Germany, but instead the venue is the city of Blumenau in Santa Catarina, home of the largest Oktoberfest in the Americas. This lively party is one of many examples of deep German influence in Brazil, a story that began 200 years ago with hardship and hope.
German immigration to Brazil was done in search of a better life. “The motivation was to escape poverty and the economic crisis in Europe,” said Enrique Trindade, education coordinator at the São Paulo Immigration Museum. Dom Pedro I, Brazil’s first emperor, also played an important role, encouraging European settlers to build new lives in Brazil by offering them land and other incentives.
Over time, German immigrants left an indelible mark on Brazil, especially in the southern region of Brazil. Pomerode, a small city in the state of Santa Catarina, proudly calls itself “our little Germany” and many residents still learn and speak German.
Perhaps surprisingly, German is the second most spoken language in Brazil, with 1.9% of the population speaking it fluently.
Blumenau and Pomerode are just two examples of German culture in Brazil. According to the German House of Science and Innovation in São Paulo…
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