The German community in Uruguay numbers ca. 10,000 German expatriates and 40,000 people of German descent.[1] Most of them live in the Montevideo area, although there are German minorities in Paysandú, Río Negro, San José and Canelones.
| |
|---|---|
 The German embassy in Uruguay | |
| Total population | |
| 40,000 German descendants[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Mainly found in the capital, Montevideo. Other numbers are found throughout the country. | |
| Languages | |
| German, Rioplatense Spanish | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| German Argentines, German Brazilians, German Chileans, Italian Uruguayans |
History
editOne of the first Germans to come to the region was Ulrich Schmidl (known locally as Ulrico Smidel), who arrived at the oriental shores of the River Plate in the early 16th century and described the Charrúas.[2]
The 2011 Uruguayan census revealed 1,167 people who declared Germany as their country of birth.[3]
Religion
editLocal Germans practise different Christian religions:
- Roman Catholic: the Pallottine Fathers, with presence at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes.
- Evangelical Church: with its own temple at Juan Manuel Blanes 1116 in Montevideo.
- Mennonite: there are four Mennonite settlements - Colonia Nicolich, El Ombú, Gartental, and Colonia Delta.
There is also an important presence of German Jews,[4] with religious activities at the NCI Synagogue.
Institutions
editGerman immigrants established several institutions of their own, among others:
- German School Montevideo (German: Deutsche Schule Montevideo, established 1857)[5]
- German Evangelical Community (German: Deutsch-Evangelische Gemeinde Montevideo)[6]
- German Cultural and Social Work (German: Deutsches Kultur- und Hilfswerk)[7]
- German Club (German: Deutscher Klub, established 1866)[8]
- Uruguayan-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (German: Deutsch-Uruguayische Industrie- und Handelskammer, established 1916)[9]
- German Rowing Club Montevideo (German: Deutscher Ruderverein Montevideo, established 1922)[10]
- German Male Choir (German: Deutscher Männerchor)[7]
- Alpine Club Montevideo (German: Alpenländer Verein Montevideo, established 1934)[11]
- Bertolt Brecht House (German: Bertolt-Brecht-Haus, established 1964)[12]
- German-Uruguayan Cultural Association (German: Deutsch-Uruguayische Kulturvereinigung)[7]
- German Cultural Association Paysandú (German: Deutsche Kulturvereinigung Paysandú)[7]
- German-Uruguayan Friendship Circle[7]
There are also local offices of German institutions:
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Uruguay[13]
- Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Uruguay[14]
- The Goethe-Institut offers courses on German language and culture.[15]
Historic German schools:[16]
Notable people
editArts and entertainment
edit- Erika Büsch, musician
- Luis Camnitzer, artist
- Jorge Drexler, musician and doctor
- Enrique Graf, pianist
- Carlos Grethe, painter and academician
- Andrés Neumann, cultural entrepreneur
- Carlos Ott, architect
- Carlos Rehermann, novelist and playwright
- Erwin Schrott, opera singer
- Carla Witte, painter
- Patricia Wolf, model and television personality
- Paula Einöder, poet and writer
Politics
edit- Pedro Carve (Colorado; President of the Chamber of Deputies, 1876)
- Carlos Fischer (Colorado; President of the National Council of Government, 1958–1959)
- Héctor Grauert (Colorado; representative, minister, and member of the NCG)
- Julio César Grauert (Colorado hero, opposed the Dictatorship of Terra)
- Tabaré Hackenbruch (Colorado, three-term mayor of Canelones Department)
- Alberto Heber (Blanco; President of the National Council of Government, 1966–1967)
- Mario Heber (Blanco; representative and senator)
- Luis Alberto Heber (Blanco; senator, later minister in the cabinet of Luis Lacalle Pou)
- Roberto Kreimerman (Frente Amplio; minister in the cabinet of José Mujica)
- Andrés Ojeda Spitz (Colorado; presidential candidate)
Sports
edit- Nicole Frank, swimmer
- Carlos Grossmüller, footballer
- Gary Kagelmacher, footballer
- Dominique Knüppel, Olympic sailor
- Nicolás Klappenbach, rugby union player
- Martín Kutscher, swimmer
- Paul Kutscher, swimmer
- Sergio Orteman, footballer
- Gerardo Vonder Pütten, footballer
Scientists
edit- Daniel Altschuler, physician
- Elio García-Austt, neuroscientist
- Mariana Meerhoff, biologist
- Bernardo Rosengurtt, botanist and agrostologist
- Lucía Spangenberg, bioinformatician researcher at the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo
Other professions
edit- Otto Langmann, pastor
- Siegbert Rippe, commercial jurist
- Ernesto Schmitt, entrepreneur
- Rodolfo Wirz, Roman Catholic bishop of Maldonado and Punta del Este
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b German in Uruguay. Joshua Project. Retriewed 30 November 2020.
- ^ Schmidel, Ulrich (2001). Viaje al Río de la Plata. Alicante: Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes - Digital edition based on Buenos Aires Edition - Cabaut y Cía. 1903.
- ^ "Immigration to Uruguay" (PDF) (in Spanish). INE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ Christoph Marx; Christine Hatzky; Waltraud Kokot; Hauke Dorsch (2004). Periplus 2004: Jahrbuch für Aussereuropäische geschichte. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 22. ISBN 978-3-8258-7820-7.
- ^ Deutsche Schule Montevideo Archived April 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ German Evangelical Church in Uruguay
- ^ a b c d e German institutions in Uruguay (in German)
- ^ Deutscher Klub Archived August 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
- ^ AHK Uruguay
- ^ DRVM Archived May 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "ALVM". Archived from the original on 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
- ^ Casa Bertolt Brecht Archived May 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ FESUR
- ^ "KAS Uruguay". Archived from the original on 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
- ^ Goethe-Institut Montevideo
- ^ "Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672" (Archive). Bundestag (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved on 12 March 2016. p. 29/51.
External links
edit- German presence in Uruguay (in Spanish)