German Chilean

The Germans in Chile (also German - Chileans, or Chile - German, Spanish chileno - alemanes ), or the descendants of German immigrants, a recognizable role to play since the mid-19th century to the present day in the economic, political and cultural life of the country, especially in the so-called small south.

Although purely numerically immigration was much lower than for example in Argentina and Brazil, the cultural and economic influence in Chile occurs much more obvious. Approximately 500,000 Chileans are descended from Germans, for around 20,000 is the German language still the mother tongue. Their main settlement area are today's regions de la Araucanía, Los Ríos and de de Los Lagos in the small southern Chile.

The importance of German immigration to Chile is controversial. According to some authors, the German - Chileans have played a relevant role in the formation of the Chilean nation, while others are of the opinion that German immigrants would never incorporated into Chilean society and culturally defined until now.

• 3.1 German Language
• 3.2 German schools
• 3.3 Voluntary Sector

" German - Chileans " and " Chile - German "

The criterion for belonging to the German - Chileans, or Chile - German is not one of nationality but a purely linguistic. The German ancestors came from various regions of the German-speaking countries in Central Europe. Therefore, among others, the descendants of Austrians and German Swiss are counted among this minority.

With the designations " Chile - German " and " German - Chilean" are usually meant different groups, which differ in their degree of integration of each other. The term " Chile - German " is mostly used for foreign German who emigrated to Chile itself and usually still have their old nationality. " German - Chileans ", however, are Chileans of German descent, the Chilean nationality - partially addition to the German or Austrian - possess, and whose ancestors for several generations live in Chile. Many of them have only learned German as a foreign language.

History

German in the Spanish colony of the 16th century

The first historical mention of the Germans in Chile leads back to the 16th century, coinciding with the Spanish conquest of the land and the foundation of today's capital of Santiago by Pedro de Valdivia. It is the conquistador Bartolomé Blumenthal alias Bartolomé Flores. His son Pedro Lisperguer, born as Peter Lißberg in Worms, in 1572 mayor of Santiago. Some authors also give for another companion of Valdivia, Juan Bohon, captain and founder of La Serena, a German origin to.

In the following centuries emigrate to the Viceroy of Peru imputed Captaincy General of Chile was for foreigners, ie non- Spaniards denied.

Opening of the country after independence in 1818

With the independence from Spain in 1818 were European merchants and commercial travelers increasingly make their way to Chile. Center of the German merchants had Valparaíso. There also arose in 1838 with the German club to Valparaíso, the first founded by the German Institution of the country.

Chile claimed already an area to Cape Horn. The fact dominated territory ended in the south but already the Río Bío Bío. To the south lay the land of the Araucanians or Mapuches, the permanently had not been able to conquer the Spaniards. Further south existed as enclaves of the Chilean territory only the city Valdivia and Chiloé Island.

In order to prevent European powers like France or Britain could take the claimed by Chile and almost uninhabited country for itself in possession, the Chilean government planned the settlement of colonists south of the dominion of the Mapuche in the later provinces of Valdivia and Llanquihue. The adopted on November 18, 1845 Law on the control of immigration (Ley de inmigración Selectiva ) allowed the immigration and settlement on the northern and southern boundaries of the prevailing Chile, north of Copiapo and south of the Río Bío Bío. As an immigrant Catholic Europeans secondary and higher education were provided.

Even before the Chilean government initiated in 1848 the first concrete steps for colonization, Bernhard Eunom Philippi reached in collaboration with his brother, the biologist Rudolph Amandus Philippi, on its own initiative, to win nine Hessian artisan families for emigration to Chile. In 1845 he had bought the Hacienda Bella Vista at La Unión in the province of Valdivia. Thither he brought German settlers who had recruited his brother in Hesse. In the brig Catalina, which belonged to the Prussian consul in Valparaíso Ferdinand Flindt, came in August 1846, the forging Aubel and Ruch, the carpenter Bachmann, the millwright Ihde, the carpenter Holstein, the distillers Bachmann, the shoemaker Henkel, the gardener hunter and the Shepherd Chandler with their families in southern Chile on. All immigrants came from the town of Rotenburg an der Fulda or the Office Rotenburg and were recruited through the friend of Philippi state architect Althaus.

Beginning in 1846 accompanied Bernhard Philippi the then director of Valparaíso, Salvador Sanfuentes, when exploring the province of Valdivia. The following year was Sanfuentes of Justice and Minister of Culture in Santiago. On the basis of those obtained by the common travel insights and influenced by the ideas presented Philippi Sanfuentes the government a colonization project for the little ones south. Philippi took part in the government deliberations, and his reports had decisive influence on government decisions. In June 1847 President Manuel Bulnes Prieto Philippine made ​​his adviser.

Officially sponsored immigration in the little south from 1848

Philippi saw with the failed German Revolution of 1848/49 then the chance came to win German emigrants as colonists for Chile and implement its Kolonisierungsideen for southern Chile. He was appointed in August 1848 colonization officer and sent to Germany to recruit colonists should be settled around Lake Llanquihue.

Philippi's brief was 150 to 200 Catholic peasant or artisan families, also two Catholic priests to choose two teachers and a doctor. The colonists should adopt the Chilean citizenship and renounce their current citizenship. On behalf of the Chilean government, he offered the emigrants to the payment of the crossing. Every father should Cuadras 10 to 15 ( which is about 15 to 23 hectares) will receive land, as well as tax-free for twelve years. The Catholic priest should be remunerated for eight years by the government. Who wanted to come at their own expense to Chile, was able to purchase land in auctions by the government and received six years tax exemption.

Once in Germany began Philippi to publish newspaper articles and to extol the benefits of Chile. However, the Catholic bishops presented against him and advised their believers of an emigration from. So it came initially Philippi only in Kassel to attract some Catholic merchants and artisans, who wanted to escape the turmoil of revolution and state repression in Germany and were able to travel at their own expense to Chile. There were 34 people who arrived in Valdivia in January 1850.

Without an answer to his request to the Chilean government to expand its powers, to be seen, he organized in November 1849, the emigration of a further group of 32 Protestants who reached Valdivia in June 1950. It succeeded Philippi to bring up in May 1851, almost 600 German expatriates in the south of Chile. In addition, almost all corresponded to the one provided by the Chilean government profile of well-trained, efficient farmer or craftsman, most of them had even paid for their passage itself. The start of the colonization of the south of Chile with German immigrants was so successful, however, were different than planned, very few of the colonists Catholic. In October 1850, the Chilean government ordered the businessman Vicente Pérez Rosales to new colonization officer.

Representing the first large enclosed German immigrant group to Chile Carl Anwandter laid in 1851 following vow against the Chilean immigration agents from:

"We will be as honest and industrious Chileans, as only the best of them it can be. Joined the ranks of our new countrymen, we will know to defend our adoptive homeland against any foreign attack with the determination and energy of the man who defends his country, his family and his interests. "

The expressed in the so - Anwandter vow loyalty of the German immigrants compared to their new home at the same time holding to their own traditions has remained influential to the present day for the German - Chileans. The focus of early German settlement was in the area around Lake Llanquihue and Osorno city, which was still heavily forested and completely untapped. 1854, today the oldest German school in South America was founded in Osorno. Until the mid- 1870s, about 6,000 German families settled in this area. To date, there exists the only closed German language development in Chile. The Universidad Austral de Chile operates on Lake Llanquihue in Frutillar now an open air museum, the Museo Colonial Alemán.

Church in Puerto Varas

Agriculture in the Llanquihue Lake

Valdivia as a center of German immigration

In particular, the old provincial capital of Valdivia benefited from the immigration of Germans by population growth and economic recovery. Carl Anwandter founded here in 1851 the first brewery in Chile, 1852, the still existing Volunteer Fire Company Germania and 1858, the German school - which is now named after him Instituto Alemán Carlos Anwandter on Isla Teja.

In Valdivia came also the first steel mill in Chile, industries of the railway carriage construction, wood processing, leather manufacturing and shipyards. Early as the late 19th century Valdivia had become the third largest industrial center of the country.

The Swedish botanist Carl Skottsberg, who in 1907 visited the city as part of an expedition to Patagonia, Valdivia described as a German city:

" Valdivia, situated at some distance from the coast, on the Calle - Calle river, is a German town. Everywhere you meet German faces, German signboards and placards alongside the Spanish. There is a large German school, a church and various clubs, large shoe- factories, and, of course, breweries ... "

" Valdivia, located at some distance from the coast on the river Calle - Calle, is a German city. Everywhere you meet German faces, German signs and notices in addition to Spanish. There is a large German school, a church and numerous clubs, large shoe factories and breweries, of course ... "

Your status as an industrial center, the city lost only partially in 1909 by a major fire and then finally one by the devastating earthquake of 1960. But even after the devastation of 1909 and 1960 is still the German influence in the city overlooked.

• Homes German immigrants in Valdivia

Museo Rudolfo A. Philippi

Hotel Schuster

Acquisition Prussian traditions in the Chilean Army

The strong German community was in 1885 after the successful run Salpeter a crucial factor that the modernization of the Chilean army German military advisers were brought into the country. The Prussian artillery captain Emil grains increased in the Chilean Civil War of 1891 to the General, and in 1900 the Inspector General of the Chilean army. He was instrumental in helping to reshape the Chilean army after the Prussian type. Prussian traditions are partly preserved in the Chilean army until today. The Chileans are colloquially has long been referred to as " the Prussia of South America" ​​.

Expansion of immigration to the whole country

After the violent subjugation of the Mapuche in 1883 and whose present territory south of the Río Bío Bío, which had until then interrupted the land connection between Central Chile and the South, the colonization was opened for immigrants from Europe. Many German settled in the so-called Chilean Switzerland and the area around Temuco. They thus established 48 German immigrant families 1884, the municipality of San Luis de Contulmo. In 1894, the city of Villa Alemana founded in the center of the country, where many German settled.

Likewise, gradually set up a internal migration of the descendants of the first immigrants to the cities. Young German - Chileans went to study in Santiago. In 1896 she founded there with the fraternity Araucania first German fraternity in Latin America.

After 1912, the railway line between Santiago and Puerto Montt was completed and the German settlement area was finally connected to the Chilean central regions, there was a greater population exchange between the two regions and thus to an increased cultural approach.

The poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up in the early 20th century in Temuco, reported in his memoirs about the prosperity of the Germans:

" Todo el tiempo y pasaba con todo el mundo tan pobre como antes quedaba. Sólo los alemanes mantenían esa Irreductible conservación de sus bienes que los caracterizaba en la frontera. "

"All [ of wealth ] passed with time, and they were all as poor as before. Only the Germans held steadfastly to it firmly to get their belongings, which was characteristic of them in the border region. "

In the 1930s, more than 1000 people of German descent, which was founded in 1931 NSDAP / AO joined in Chile.

The coming to power of the Nazi Party in Germany led to a renewed wave of immigrants. After 1933 left many political refugees and German Jews Germany and were looking for a new home. Due to the existing German-speaking congregation Chile was a goal of many emigrants during this period. Between 1933 and 1941 15,000 Jews emigrated from Germany to Chile.

After the end of World War II there were then Nazis found refuge in South America. Also, many expellees from the eastern territories left Germany in the 1940s and 1950s, and came to Chile. In the early 1960s wandered the sect founder Paul Shepherd with about 200 followers to Chile and founded in Parral, Colonia Dignidad.

After the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet in 1973 many opposition left the country. Many found refuge in Germany - in both the Federal Republic and the GDR. A number of established families in Germany and returned after the end of the military dictatorship in 1990 with these back to Chile.

Current situation

German language

Today, the German language is still used by about 20,000 to 35,000 inhabitants of Chile in daily life. This makes it to Spanish and Mapudungun the language with the third most widely spoken in Chile. The trend is decreasing for decades. As guilty because the foreign policy of Germany school is identified in part.

But the increase in linguistically mixed marriages leads to the weakening of German language skills in the next generation. In particular, children of German fathers and Spanish-speaking mothers speak Spanish as their native language and learn German as a foreign language often only know. One reason for the increase in mixed marriages is the declining importance of confessions in public life, making marriages between the mostly Catholic Chileans and the Protestant German - Chileans often be easier. The Catholics among the German immigrants assimilated in the 19th century far more to the equally Catholic majority population than the Protestants.

Around Lake Llanquihue, a variety of German has evolved. The so-called German - Launa is influenced by many Spanish interference. Conversely, several German words have been used as input in the Chilean foreign words everyday language (eg cake).

German schools

There are 22 German schools in Chile that are visited together of about 15,000 students. Of these schools are currently getting 21 different degrees of financial and personnel support from the German Federal Office of Administration. At four schools teaching in German language, the others teach only German as a first foreign language.

In Santiago there is also a bilingual Swiss school.

1988 founded the German schools, together with the German Chilean Confederation ( DCB ) and the Association of German teachers in Chile ( VdLiCh ) with the support of the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, a College of Education Chilean law, the German teacher training institute Wilhelm von Humboldt. There bilingual teachers and primary school teachers for the German schools in Chile are formed. Since 1995, the LBI is also regional training and continuing education center of the German schools in Chile.

Voluntary Sector

The German immigrants established in their new home, a large number of associations. In almost every town in the south there is a small Club Alemán. The Protestants among immigrants founded their own churches and associated schools in the otherwise purely Catholic Chile. The first volunteer fire departments were founded by Germans.

The German -Chilean Confederation ( DCB), an umbrella association of the German clubs, trying to promote the cohesion of the German minority on the preservation of the German language and culture. The DCB is with the weekly Cóndor out the top-selling German -language newspaper in Chile.

A total of eight fraternities German tradition, five of Fraternities ( Viña del Mar, Santiago ( 2), Concepción and Valdivia ) and three girls machinations, are committed to the preservation of the German language.

The building of the Second volunteer fire company in Osorno

School camp, Refugio Otto Urban Baude ' the German School in Osorno Antillanca

Fuente Alemana in Santiago, a fountain, donated by the German community

Known Chileans of German descent

• Marlene Ahrens ( born 1933), track and field athlete, Olympic silver Melbourne 1956
• Carl Anwandter (1801-1889), representative of the first German immigrant group
• Ena von Baer ( b. 1975 ); Designated in the Senate; Minister Secretary General of Government Communications and Media ( government spokeswoman )
• Gustavo Becerra -Schmidt (1925-2010), composer and music educator
• Harald Beyer, Minister of Education
• Cecilia Bolocco (born 1965 ), actress, Miss Universe 1987
• Bartolomé Blumenthal (1506-1585), conquistador
• Hernán Büchi ( b. 1949 ), economist (Chicago Boys), Economics and Finance
• Guillermo Deisler (1940-1995), artist, set designer
• Hans Gildemeister ( born 1956 ), tennis player
• Óscar Hahn ( born 1938 ), poet
• Hans Helfritz (1902-1995), composer, writer, photographer
• Felipe Kast ( b. 1975 ), Minister in Chile
• Miguel Kast (1942-1983), economist (Chicago Boys), President of the Central Bank of Chile
• Emil Körner (1846-1920), Inspector General of the Army 1900-1910
• " Don Francisco " ( Mario Luis Kreutz Berger, born 1940 ), TV presenter
• Pedro Lisperguer (1535-1604), conquistador
• Rolf Lüders, a former Chilean Minister
• Evelyn Matthei, former MP and Senator, Secretary of Labor 2011-12
• Fernando David ( born 1925 ), member of the military junta, Minister of Health and General of the Air Force
• Manfred Max - Neef ( b. 1932 ), economist, recipient of the Right Livelihood Award
• Alfredo Perl, Pianist
• Bernhard Eunom Philippi (1811-1852), colonial officer of the Chilean government
• Rudolph Amandus Philippi (1808-1904), Professor of Botany and Zoology
• Carolina Schmidt ( born 1968 ), Minister for Women in Chile
• René Schneider (1913-1970), General, Chief of the Army
• Alexander von Schwedler ( born 1980 ), football player
• Antonia Zegers (born 1972 ), actress