Blumenau is one of the most important cities in the State of Santa Catarina; the city, distant 139
km from the capital Florianopolis, was built close to where the
river Itajai meets the affluents Testo, Itoupava, Velha and Garcia.
Average temperature is 21 C; the southern States of Brazil are below
the Tropic of Capricorn Line, with a climate more similar to the
temperated Germany than the rest of Brazil.
Blumenau was founded in 1850 by German immigrant Hermann Otto Blumenau
and other sixteen fellow countrymen; they were impressed with the
fertility of the soil in the Itajai Valley and the agricultural
potential of Brazil.
The colony founded by Herman had, in 1880, 15,000 inhabitants, practically
all of them Germans (there was not miscegenation between the immigrants
and the Brazilians); in 1894, the colony was elevated to the status
of city.
Even though the initial settlers had the intention to develop an
agricultural colony, many of the immigrants which arrived later
had other skills, which changed the business orientation of the
city; in the century XX, Blumenau became an industrial city.
In 2000, the city had 261,505 inhabitants; many people in the rural
area of Blumenau still speak German and live by German traditions.
Blumenau and the surrounding cities make up of the most important
textile clusters in the world; the metalic and machinery sectors
are also relevant in the economy of the region.
Visit the Blumenau
official site
In the 1980s, Blumenau was hit by a severe flood; the waters of
Itajai damaged a good part of the city. As a means to collect reconstruction
funds, a party - the Oktoberfest - was organized, mirrored on the
event with the same name which happens in Munich. The Oktboberfest
became a tradition, happening every year from 10 to 27 October;
it's one of the most popular parties in Brazil, with over 1,000,000
visitants.
Read more about Oktoberfest in Blumenau, Brazil
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Oktoberfest
Brazil
