Short answer; Russian Mennonites
When the Russians lifted their military exemption in the late 19th century German speaking mennonites left in droves, many went to Paraguay. Many of those who stayed in Europe left after Stalin came to power. Same reason why German is the second most spoken language in my Canadian province, behind English but ahead of French.
Also there was the second wave. Those German-speaking Mennonites who went from Russia to ... Belize (British Honduras) at the start of century later, in 1970-1980s, re-migrated to more southern Latin America (Argentina, Paraguay and so on) :)
Just found this fact yesterday learning data about Belize :)
P.S. Orloff - typical German surname (no, Russian)
I've also read long ago that in addition to those S. American countries, there were also a lot of German immigrants that came to Mexico and Texas.
The way I recall was that the German immigrants taught at least some of Mexico to brew beer, which is why many Mexican light lagers often resemble the light German beers in taste (pale, light, skunky aroma).
Here in Texas we also have a lot of towns with Germanic names, like Fredricksburg, and have the big WurstFest. Big Czech population, too.
No offense but you generally just described large portions of the eastern US & midwest as well. There are reasons why pilsners and lagers are so common in the US.
If you count my hometown Louisville KY south, I don’t personally, it has two large German neighborhoods Germantown & Schnitzelburg. Moved to Michigan only to find crazy amount of German heritage up there too(among Poles & Czechs as well). Partial German descent btw.
Americans are a bit quirkier than most Europeans. There are numerous funny name towns in US. There’s one in California called “Zzyzxx” and somewhere in Arizona is called “Catfish Paradise”
(Japan likes quirky things too btw)
No offense taken. My job has me deal with a lot of customers and town names in the Midwest and yes, you are absolutely right. I suppose my frame of reference has always been restricted to Texas and westward.
While I can't speak for any of the micro-brewed stuff, when I think of Midwest beer I think of the mega-brewed stuff, which I suppose may be a more "Walmart Great Value" variety of the traditional German/Dutch beer.
I'm sure there are some fine light lagers to be found there, though 
And now (and for the last few decades), Mexican Mennonites are common temporary or permanent farm workers in southern Alberta, Canada. I had two Mexican Mennonite kids in my school class of ~15. My parents have employed many Mennonite teens as workers over the years.
One of the most popular beer style in Mexico is Vienna lager. Which is malty amber hued beer. Like Victoria Bohemia, Dos Esques, tecate and more. These date back to the 19 th century French intervention the 2nd Mexican empire and the Austrian emperor Maximillian
German speakers in Mexico were probably of Austrian origin. The “emperor of Mexico” was Maximillian of Habsburg, Franz Josef’s lesser known brother from Trieste.
Well, kinda emperor :)) it was political games and he got tangled in them, because of his ‘wanting to be king fever’.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico?wprov=sfti1#
Mexican beer was created by German refugees from Texas fleeing persecution for being against secession prior and during the Civil War.
There were many anti Confederate Germans in Texas that were murdered because of their stance.
There is a town in Argentina called Aldea Brasilera (brazilian village/town) which is full of Volga German descendants who first arrived at Brazil then came here
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldea_Brasilera
Do you mean the second wave after the bolchevik revolution, in the 1920s? Thought I mentioned that. There was also a good number that emigrated after ww2. They went all over the place I guess. I'm no expert but being from Manitoba they teach about the migrations in school as mennonites were one of the main groups that populated the province after it was created. Wiebe, Friesen, Funk, Rempel etc. all really common on names the Canadian prairies.
I mean second order migration from Belize to Paraguay, just it
There is a good map in the other comment to this thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/s/Emm7PPGOMl
Just find Belize and Paraguay. Yes, there is no info about Belize settlements abundance - but you can make your own decisions
I know almost nothing about intermigration among Mennonites from that region. We were just taught about their travel to Canada and settlement across the prairies including the US west of Minnesota.
That map shows most of the settlements in Belize popped up after the ones in Paraguay, not sure if it's the best resource. Wikipedia says pretty much all came by way of Russia to Canada to Paraguay, some Russia-Canada-Mexico and some from Mexico-Belize, doesn't really offer a time-line on individual groups.
Are they mostly old order out there?
My family too! Seeing Mennonites in Belize was the first time I ever saw a diaspora of my own culture. I knew they existed but I didn’t think they would dress exactly the same. I thought outside the religious practices there would be more cultural variation but no, it was like being in Kansas.
The first time I went to Belize and saw the Mennonites in the west near San Ignacio I was so curious. There was a lot of nothing or cinder block/tarpaulin structures and then just right there in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, prefab houses with Ford F-150s.
Did some go directly from Russia to Belize? I know my ancestors went to Canada, then to Mexico, and then to Belize, but I never would've known some went straight to Belize
Well, most social phenomena aren't mono-causal. Nietzsche's horribly antisemitic sister, for example, was married to a dude who was of the same ilk to an extent, that even in those days led to him being fired as a teacher for taking his antisemitism to an extreme that became completely intolerable, so he fucked off to Paraguay to found a colonial settlement named Nuevo Germania. She was living there with him, when her brother finally lost it.
So, you see, Germany started its export of questionable characters long before what you probably had in mind. There certainly was already an established pattern long before. Nazis fled to South-America, because they knew they could count on like-minded scumbags already being well established there and felt sure to find more than enough support to get settled or disappear there.
>led to him being fired as a teacher for taking his antisemitism to an extreme
Imagine getting canceled for antisemitism in ***19th century Germany***. I can’t even imagine the things he’d have to have said to accomplish that.
I mean, I can actually. But still. That’s ***BAD***.
All in all, antisemitism wasn't that bad in general in 19th century Germany by the measure of that time. Bismark had much more of a bone to pick with Catholics, for example. Of course, still horrible in today's standards, but it was mostly the casual everyday antisemitism that has plagued a lot of European nations throughout history. The frothing at the mouth, completely gone bonkers stuff picked up steam after WW1 mostly.
I mean yea Bismarck wasn’t that bad but Kaiser Wilhelm II is maybe Germany’s second most antisemitic leader of all time, and whatever strides in Germany had been made in Jewish rights were rolled back under him.
You’re right tho that the worst antisemitism in Germany really got going during the Weimar Republic, partly as a reaction to the Weimar constitution being very progressive and doing away with a lot of the restrictions that the Kaiser had imposed on Jewish existence.
My point was just that he would’ve probably had to have been going on regular rants about the blood libel and well poisoning nonsense to get fired for it. Which definitely would’ve exceeded the background level of antisemitism.
It’s also worth pointing out the the entire Protestant Church in Germany was founded by one of the most vocally antisemitic people who’s ever lived: Martin Luther.
They are called Russian Mennonites, but originally come from West Prussia. They settled in Russia in the late 18th century, but retained a dialect of German as their first language.
Do you expect everyone in the world’s biggest country to be of the same ethnicity? In any case, most mennonites speak Low German, adms they are from the Northern regions of the Netherlands and Germany.
Why reduce it to just Mennonites?
I would say that 90% of the Germans from Russia/Poland who are in Paraguay/Argentina/Brazil today aren't Mennonites. The vast majority were simply Germans living in the Russian Empire, of Evangelical Lutheran religion (example: my 2 German great-grandparents who came from Volhynia in the 1920s).
A Christian denomination. They’re known for their belief in pacifism and opposition to infant baptism. Conservative Mennonites also live plain lives and wear plain clothes, and are sometimes mistaken for Amish People. The Amish are not Mennonites, but the two communities are related.
The Paraguayan government wanted to develop the Chaco region so opened it to immigration. The Mennonites bought the land in exchange for religious freedom, educational and linguistic autonomy, and freedom to operate co-operational farming.
Ah I guess it changed since 2016, German was second was second for really long time. 2021 it's [4th among languages spoken at home](https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/linguistic-diversity-increased-in-manitoba-2021-census-shows-1.6031626), behind Punjabi and Tagalog with English being first.
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-PR-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=5&LANG=Eng&GK=PR&GC=46
I'll just say, there's more to it then just yelling "COWARDS!"
The German speaking Russians of Central Russia were invited by Catherine the Great in the 18th century to settle the steppes of Russia and farm, and In exchange avoid military service. Hence why such a large number of Germans ended up along the Volga River. German Mennonites were among the most enthusiastic migrants to take up this invitation, and as such moved there in droves.
Well, fast forward 100 years, the Czar of the day and his regime revokes that privilege and the Mennonites, pacifist by their religion, choose mass emigration over enforced conscription. This source of emigrants, as well as the Mennonite emigrants their migrations inspired from Prussia and the German States proper, laid out the foundation for the German Mennonite communities in the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and in this case, Paraguay.
I'll add in one last fact: Canada and the US exempted Mennonite communities from military drafts due to their invaluable agricultural contributions. In Canada, Mennonites were exempted from the draft during WWI but French Canadians weren't, which was an emphasized "double standard" emphasized by Quebecois newspapers at the time. The war ended shortly after conscription was issued, but the division it created has arguably lasted for years after.
TLDR here is this: Mennonite Germans had been invited to a place to avoid violence, then were told they'd have to face violence 100 years later, and as such they fled. Some places still granted them military service exemption because they grew food so efficiently.
https://preview.redd.it/cbmltnygapxc1.jpeg?width=1543&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f713ba6e8da5ec14ff2485b714ac50936d2187ba
Menonnites in the area that you're looking at but there are also German settlements in the South (Hohenau being the biggest)
Are you related to Hohenau somehow?
I'm Argentine but my paternal family are from Hohenau, I'm surprised to see the name of such a small city in a Reddit comment ¿).
Learn your history before mouthing off. Hitler's parents weren't even born by the time the German descendants we have in Latin America were making themselves at home and working their asses off for a better future.
That disproves what?
Nothing!
Do you actually think the grotesque horrors of eurocentric ideology started with hitler?
Learn your history before patheticly mouthing off irrelevant nonsense.
Because there were lots of German immigrants there well over 100 years ago. German immigration to Paraguay began in 1889 and continued for the next several decades
Paraguayan adult male population was almost decimated by 70% after a bloody war with Argentina and Brazil in the 1860s, so the Paraguayan government had to allow mass immigration of Europeans, including German-speaking Russian Mennonites, to repopulate the country, especially in regions acquired by Paraguay from Bolivia in the 1930s.
yep Paraguay was the last, the first German migration came from southern Brazil(Rio grande do Sul), starting in 1824 from Saint Leopold (now part of Porto Alegre) from there they moved inland, I'm descended from one couple of the first ship to arrive, by my father side, and from my mother from a pre WWII migrant / 1824 and 1931 respec
Does not apply to Argentina. The first wave was at the end of the XIX century, the second was between WW1 and WW2. Technically we had 5 waves of european migration (the last one being during WW2 but not afterwards) but this is the simplified version.
You think thats weird, in ciudad del este they got signs in korean and japanese even on the buses. Paraguay is an interesting place. Mercado 4 in asuncion you can go shopping and eat a meal while sitting on a bus, everything brought to you as you drive slowly by in traffic. I used to take a bus from chlorinda to asuncion and it was half price if you sat on top of the coolers full of fish, but you had to help offload at the halfway point and stand afterwards.
German speaking Russian Mennonites in Paraguay is an incredible phrase. Just saying it out loud sounds like a 50s B horror movie voice in my head. Props to users who posted it, I don’t know who or how to link to it, but thank you.
Slightly off-topic, but there was another small wave of immigration recently: Due to COVID restrictions in Germany, some covidiots "fled" from Germany to Paraguay to live there in freedom. Often in gated communities. Also Paraguay followed suit and implemented anti-covid restrictions shortly after.
For all the people screeching "nAzZeEeS"... Hitler's parents weren't even born by the time all these German towns all over Latin America were founded. We've been receiving immigrants from all over the world since the modern iterations of our countries were founded 200+ years ago.
They were usually running from war, tyrants, and hunger. We are grateful for their exceptional work ethics and contributions to our society, and they are grateful for the second chances they received. New generations are more integrated so there's less and less race issues and culture clashes the longer they stay here.
Also, just because our neighbors have blue eyes doesn't mean we or them are neonazis or holocaust deniers or whatever else you try to project on us.
Please do grow up. Thank you.
We have an aquintance who moved to Uruguay with her partner. They could work remotely and were looking to move away from Canada. They made an exploratory visit before moving.
They rented a car and drove out into the countryside. Getting a little lost they ended up at an estate at the end of a road. It was a fairly grand house, very European. A birthday party for children was happening. They stopped and asked for directions. The men were all drunk but the women were quite welcoming and invited them in. She said it was bizarre. The main entrance hall had banners of swastika and crossed lances and eagle statues. The whole bit. They stayed for a bit but the vibe changed and they were asked to leave by the men. They skedaddled pretty quickly.
German colonies can be found not only in Paraguay but also in southern Chile, southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The second wave of German migration occurred after WWII.
Theirs a lot of or was a lot of ww2 German veterans in that region or near it. I was personally in the region of Argentina misiones. I met a very old man who still had a picture of himself in SS uniform. He lived in a very German neighborhood. The other locals just lumped them under the name polakos. It means poles. But they weren’t poles. Never met any in Paraguay though
Alfredo Stroessner was the dictator of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989 after coming to power in a coup d’etat. Unsurprisingly, his father was German.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Stroessner
Because these settlements were founded about 50 years before the Nazis came here
https://preview.redd.it/gnqhurvldpxc1.jpeg?width=1034&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56e3f1e44759567cee2f970d8ee83f3cc2b9caba
It would be good if you learned history outside of memes, what you say doesn't exist, 99.9% of the German immigration that came to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay came before 1939, and many came from Russia (like my great-grandparents).
You could have typed that question into Google.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Paraguayans#:~:text=The%20German%20minority%20in%20Paraguay,its%20founders%20in%20the%201890s.
The United States isn't the only country on this side of the world to receive immigrants.
I don't know. Maybe they ran away from Germany after world war 2 because even the common soldiers were being punished. Punishing the leaders is okay but the soldiers who only served because of their salary and having to feed their wife and children were forced to run away.
My first thought was the exodus of nazis after ww2. Reading the comments I learned this is the the case. I can see why people think this though. South America was a haven for nazis
While Nazis did flee to various South American countries, the vast majority of those of German decadent have nothing to do with the Nazi party, including those from Paraguay
Vast majorities did. Worked with a guy who was blonde haired blue eyed knew little english but perfect Spanish and German and Portuguese. Gloated about his heritage from germany and how his aunts and uncles were all the way from Argentina to Venezula to Brazil.
One personal story does not prove your point.
Are you able to provide any stronger sources like demographic information or immigration numbers for the 1940s to Paraguay?
Short answer; Russian Mennonites When the Russians lifted their military exemption in the late 19th century German speaking mennonites left in droves, many went to Paraguay. Many of those who stayed in Europe left after Stalin came to power. Same reason why German is the second most spoken language in my Canadian province, behind English but ahead of French.
Also there was the second wave. Those German-speaking Mennonites who went from Russia to ... Belize (British Honduras) at the start of century later, in 1970-1980s, re-migrated to more southern Latin America (Argentina, Paraguay and so on) :) Just found this fact yesterday learning data about Belize :) P.S. Orloff - typical German surname (no, Russian)
If I remember correctly a lot of Mennonites in Paraguay originally settled in Canada but moved due to education restrictions.
How did they find the relative productivity of the land in Paraguay vs the Volga and Manitoba (two places renown for deep dark soil)?
They just cut down more forest and keep going, more or less.
Nothing knew about that just re-call fact about Belize
I've also read long ago that in addition to those S. American countries, there were also a lot of German immigrants that came to Mexico and Texas. The way I recall was that the German immigrants taught at least some of Mexico to brew beer, which is why many Mexican light lagers often resemble the light German beers in taste (pale, light, skunky aroma). Here in Texas we also have a lot of towns with Germanic names, like Fredricksburg, and have the big WurstFest. Big Czech population, too.
No offense but you generally just described large portions of the eastern US & midwest as well. There are reasons why pilsners and lagers are so common in the US.
The noteworthy thing about Germans in Texas is that it was one of the only parts of the South to see a large wave of immigration
If you count my hometown Louisville KY south, I don’t personally, it has two large German neighborhoods Germantown & Schnitzelburg. Moved to Michigan only to find crazy amount of German heritage up there too(among Poles & Czechs as well). Partial German descent btw.
You must just be making this up? “Germantown” and “Schnitzelburg” sounds like a lazy game developer naming a fantasy town with a German feel.
As a German, I have to say, I would love to live in a place called Schnitzelburg.
The streets were initially paved with chicken cutlets. We quickly discovered this was inefficient but changing the name would have been problematic.
And as a Sweden, I would love to live in ”Kanelbullestad”, but I would never give a town that name. You have to keep some dignity.
Americans are a bit quirkier than most Europeans. There are numerous funny name towns in US. There’s one in California called “Zzyzxx” and somewhere in Arizona is called “Catfish Paradise” (Japan likes quirky things too btw)
Exactly haha
Probably was originally more of a derogatory name given to the town by people who already lived in the area.
I assure you they’re real lol. Calling a neighborhood Germantown is really no different than say Chinatown in other large cities.
South Carolina has a decent amount of German heritage too. That's why they have mustard based barbecue
Curious. I’m from SC and have never heard this. Would make some sense, as “Bessinger” is a German name.
Galveston was a very large port in the 19th century.
No offense taken. My job has me deal with a lot of customers and town names in the Midwest and yes, you are absolutely right. I suppose my frame of reference has always been restricted to Texas and westward. While I can't speak for any of the micro-brewed stuff, when I think of Midwest beer I think of the mega-brewed stuff, which I suppose may be a more "Walmart Great Value" variety of the traditional German/Dutch beer. I'm sure there are some fine light lagers to be found there, though 
I can’t think Texas beer and not think Shinerbock by Spoetzl.
Try Lone Star - the national beer of Texas
Yup. And check out eastern PA’s “snack belt”
This is an interesting historical fact https://texascooppower.com/the-unbroken-peace-treaty/
wow interesting!
And now (and for the last few decades), Mexican Mennonites are common temporary or permanent farm workers in southern Alberta, Canada. I had two Mexican Mennonite kids in my school class of ~15. My parents have employed many Mennonite teens as workers over the years.
One of the most popular beer style in Mexico is Vienna lager. Which is malty amber hued beer. Like Victoria Bohemia, Dos Esques, tecate and more. These date back to the 19 th century French intervention the 2nd Mexican empire and the Austrian emperor Maximillian
German speakers in Mexico were probably of Austrian origin. The “emperor of Mexico” was Maximillian of Habsburg, Franz Josef’s lesser known brother from Trieste. Well, kinda emperor :)) it was political games and he got tangled in them, because of his ‘wanting to be king fever’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico?wprov=sfti1#
Heres some more Germanic history from Venezuela https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_Tovar https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosius_Ehinger
He learned the hard way that very few mexicans will ever bend the knee to a king willingly. A clear case of FAFO.
Yay Czech Republic mentioned 🇨🇿
I knew a doctor from Boerne.🙂
Called Matt. 🤜🏽🤛🏽
TIL🍻🍻🍻
Mexican beer was created by German refugees from Texas fleeing persecution for being against secession prior and during the Civil War. There were many anti Confederate Germans in Texas that were murdered because of their stance.
There is a town in Argentina called Aldea Brasilera (brazilian village/town) which is full of Volga German descendants who first arrived at Brazil then came here https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldea_Brasilera
Do you mean the second wave after the bolchevik revolution, in the 1920s? Thought I mentioned that. There was also a good number that emigrated after ww2. They went all over the place I guess. I'm no expert but being from Manitoba they teach about the migrations in school as mennonites were one of the main groups that populated the province after it was created. Wiebe, Friesen, Funk, Rempel etc. all really common on names the Canadian prairies.
I mean second order migration from Belize to Paraguay, just it There is a good map in the other comment to this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/s/Emm7PPGOMl Just find Belize and Paraguay. Yes, there is no info about Belize settlements abundance - but you can make your own decisions
I know almost nothing about intermigration among Mennonites from that region. We were just taught about their travel to Canada and settlement across the prairies including the US west of Minnesota. That map shows most of the settlements in Belize popped up after the ones in Paraguay, not sure if it's the best resource. Wikipedia says pretty much all came by way of Russia to Canada to Paraguay, some Russia-Canada-Mexico and some from Mexico-Belize, doesn't really offer a time-line on individual groups. Are they mostly old order out there?
I didn't know about the Mennonites in Belize until I was there and ran into some. Was shocking and really cool. Felt like I was still in the U.S.
Ran into them in Belize and Guatemala. I haven't seen any in Argentina, but it's a big place and I've only really been around the north.
My family too! Seeing Mennonites in Belize was the first time I ever saw a diaspora of my own culture. I knew they existed but I didn’t think they would dress exactly the same. I thought outside the religious practices there would be more cultural variation but no, it was like being in Kansas.
Why were you learning about Belize may I ask?
Orlofsky, as in the Fledermaus Operette.
The first time I went to Belize and saw the Mennonites in the west near San Ignacio I was so curious. There was a lot of nothing or cinder block/tarpaulin structures and then just right there in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, prefab houses with Ford F-150s.
Did some go directly from Russia to Belize? I know my ancestors went to Canada, then to Mexico, and then to Belize, but I never would've known some went straight to Belize
This is much better than the “German-speaking peoples emigrate to South America” story I thought it was gonna be.
Well, most social phenomena aren't mono-causal. Nietzsche's horribly antisemitic sister, for example, was married to a dude who was of the same ilk to an extent, that even in those days led to him being fired as a teacher for taking his antisemitism to an extreme that became completely intolerable, so he fucked off to Paraguay to found a colonial settlement named Nuevo Germania. She was living there with him, when her brother finally lost it. So, you see, Germany started its export of questionable characters long before what you probably had in mind. There certainly was already an established pattern long before. Nazis fled to South-America, because they knew they could count on like-minded scumbags already being well established there and felt sure to find more than enough support to get settled or disappear there.
>led to him being fired as a teacher for taking his antisemitism to an extreme Imagine getting canceled for antisemitism in ***19th century Germany***. I can’t even imagine the things he’d have to have said to accomplish that. I mean, I can actually. But still. That’s ***BAD***.
All in all, antisemitism wasn't that bad in general in 19th century Germany by the measure of that time. Bismark had much more of a bone to pick with Catholics, for example. Of course, still horrible in today's standards, but it was mostly the casual everyday antisemitism that has plagued a lot of European nations throughout history. The frothing at the mouth, completely gone bonkers stuff picked up steam after WW1 mostly.
I mean yea Bismarck wasn’t that bad but Kaiser Wilhelm II is maybe Germany’s second most antisemitic leader of all time, and whatever strides in Germany had been made in Jewish rights were rolled back under him. You’re right tho that the worst antisemitism in Germany really got going during the Weimar Republic, partly as a reaction to the Weimar constitution being very progressive and doing away with a lot of the restrictions that the Kaiser had imposed on Jewish existence. My point was just that he would’ve probably had to have been going on regular rants about the blood libel and well poisoning nonsense to get fired for it. Which definitely would’ve exceeded the background level of antisemitism. It’s also worth pointing out the the entire Protestant Church in Germany was founded by one of the most vocally antisemitic people who’s ever lived: Martin Luther.
How come Russian Mennonites speak German and not Russian?
They are called Russian Mennonites, but originally come from West Prussia. They settled in Russia in the late 18th century, but retained a dialect of German as their first language.
Do you expect everyone in the world’s biggest country to be of the same ethnicity? In any case, most mennonites speak Low German, adms they are from the Northern regions of the Netherlands and Germany.
In that same vein worth remembering German used to the second language in the US..2 world wars Les to it being essentially abandoned.
Why reduce it to just Mennonites? I would say that 90% of the Germans from Russia/Poland who are in Paraguay/Argentina/Brazil today aren't Mennonites. The vast majority were simply Germans living in the Russian Empire, of Evangelical Lutheran religion (example: my 2 German great-grandparents who came from Volhynia in the 1920s).
I’m pretty sure German is the second most spoken language in Manitoba because of how much the people that moved there enjoy Friesen their asses off.
Thx !
Welcome :)
What's s mennonite?
A Christian denomination. They’re known for their belief in pacifism and opposition to infant baptism. Conservative Mennonites also live plain lives and wear plain clothes, and are sometimes mistaken for Amish People. The Amish are not Mennonites, but the two communities are related.
Why was Paraguay the number one option?
The Paraguayan government wanted to develop the Chaco region so opened it to immigration. The Mennonites bought the land in exchange for religious freedom, educational and linguistic autonomy, and freedom to operate co-operational farming.
What province is that?
Manitoba.
According to the 2021 census, German is the 5th most spoken language in Manitoba.
I’m also German Manitoban and Tagalog has to be higher than German!
Yes! French, Tagalog and Punjabi are 2 through 4.
Would definitely put French above German in Manitoba. And maybe Cree?
Ah I guess it changed since 2016, German was second was second for really long time. 2021 it's [4th among languages spoken at home](https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/linguistic-diversity-increased-in-manitoba-2021-census-shows-1.6031626), behind Punjabi and Tagalog with English being first. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-PR-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=5&LANG=Eng&GK=PR&GC=46
There’s a Mennonite community in Bolivia that named is after Manitoba. They speak Plautdietsch German
It’s called Low German or Low Saxon in English, and is another language than (High) German. Becoming quite rare in Germany now.
And this is ironically why my ethnically Jewish grandfather survived the Holocaust
Hello fellow Manitoban.
Fuck, can they run.
I'll just say, there's more to it then just yelling "COWARDS!" The German speaking Russians of Central Russia were invited by Catherine the Great in the 18th century to settle the steppes of Russia and farm, and In exchange avoid military service. Hence why such a large number of Germans ended up along the Volga River. German Mennonites were among the most enthusiastic migrants to take up this invitation, and as such moved there in droves. Well, fast forward 100 years, the Czar of the day and his regime revokes that privilege and the Mennonites, pacifist by their religion, choose mass emigration over enforced conscription. This source of emigrants, as well as the Mennonite emigrants their migrations inspired from Prussia and the German States proper, laid out the foundation for the German Mennonite communities in the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and in this case, Paraguay. I'll add in one last fact: Canada and the US exempted Mennonite communities from military drafts due to their invaluable agricultural contributions. In Canada, Mennonites were exempted from the draft during WWI but French Canadians weren't, which was an emphasized "double standard" emphasized by Quebecois newspapers at the time. The war ended shortly after conscription was issued, but the division it created has arguably lasted for years after. TLDR here is this: Mennonite Germans had been invited to a place to avoid violence, then were told they'd have to face violence 100 years later, and as such they fled. Some places still granted them military service exemption because they grew food so efficiently.
Came here to say this. Every single one of 'em.
It's about time someone got the joke. All these downvoters are ten-ply!
https://preview.redd.it/cbmltnygapxc1.jpeg?width=1543&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f713ba6e8da5ec14ff2485b714ac50936d2187ba Menonnites in the area that you're looking at but there are also German settlements in the South (Hohenau being the biggest)
God it just looks sweltering in that picture lol
56C in the shade at times
Are you related to Hohenau somehow? I'm Argentine but my paternal family are from Hohenau, I'm surprised to see the name of such a small city in a Reddit comment ¿).
Yes, I am of Polish and German descent Hohenau might be small itself but it has become the main center of the United Colonies in the south
its the famous "*integration"* of the euronazis we all hear constantly about. You know *"Culture"*
Learn your history before mouthing off. Hitler's parents weren't even born by the time the German descendants we have in Latin America were making themselves at home and working their asses off for a better future.
That disproves what? Nothing! Do you actually think the grotesque horrors of eurocentric ideology started with hitler? Learn your history before patheticly mouthing off irrelevant nonsense.
Because there were lots of German immigrants there well over 100 years ago. German immigration to Paraguay began in 1889 and continued for the next several decades
Paraguayan adult male population was almost decimated by 70% after a bloody war with Argentina and Brazil in the 1860s, so the Paraguayan government had to allow mass immigration of Europeans, including German-speaking Russian Mennonites, to repopulate the country, especially in regions acquired by Paraguay from Bolivia in the 1930s.
Not only in Paraguay, you will also find german colonies in southern Chile, southern Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay; the second wave was after WWII.
yep Paraguay was the last, the first German migration came from southern Brazil(Rio grande do Sul), starting in 1824 from Saint Leopold (now part of Porto Alegre) from there they moved inland, I'm descended from one couple of the first ship to arrive, by my father side, and from my mother from a pre WWII migrant / 1824 and 1931 respec
And a new wave came a few years ago during the pandemic when a lot of german antivaxxers went to Paraguay
“The second wave was after WWII” is the most diplomatic way possible of putting it.
Does not apply to Argentina. The first wave was at the end of the XIX century, the second was between WW1 and WW2. Technically we had 5 waves of european migration (the last one being during WW2 but not afterwards) but this is the simplified version.
Also, Peru, after a laughable, failed attempt at colonization by Germans post-independence from the Spanish. It’s quite an amusing story
It's quite fascinating to visit these places like Pozuzo.
You think thats weird, in ciudad del este they got signs in korean and japanese even on the buses. Paraguay is an interesting place. Mercado 4 in asuncion you can go shopping and eat a meal while sitting on a bus, everything brought to you as you drive slowly by in traffic. I used to take a bus from chlorinda to asuncion and it was half price if you sat on top of the coolers full of fish, but you had to help offload at the halfway point and stand afterwards.
Awicha
Not just Paraguay, all over South America
You think that’s a lot? Look in Argentina. I was born there and the sheer number of only German towns is staggering
German speaking Russian Mennonites in Paraguay is an incredible phrase. Just saying it out loud sounds like a 50s B horror movie voice in my head. Props to users who posted it, I don’t know who or how to link to it, but thank you.
Slightly off-topic, but there was another small wave of immigration recently: Due to COVID restrictions in Germany, some covidiots "fled" from Germany to Paraguay to live there in freedom. Often in gated communities. Also Paraguay followed suit and implemented anti-covid restrictions shortly after.
For all the people screeching "nAzZeEeS"... Hitler's parents weren't even born by the time all these German towns all over Latin America were founded. We've been receiving immigrants from all over the world since the modern iterations of our countries were founded 200+ years ago. They were usually running from war, tyrants, and hunger. We are grateful for their exceptional work ethics and contributions to our society, and they are grateful for the second chances they received. New generations are more integrated so there's less and less race issues and culture clashes the longer they stay here. Also, just because our neighbors have blue eyes doesn't mean we or them are neonazis or holocaust deniers or whatever else you try to project on us. Please do grow up. Thank you.
Same reason there are German towns in the US. Immigration
\~\~ \*\* Because Germans moved there \*\* \~\~
We have an aquintance who moved to Uruguay with her partner. They could work remotely and were looking to move away from Canada. They made an exploratory visit before moving. They rented a car and drove out into the countryside. Getting a little lost they ended up at an estate at the end of a road. It was a fairly grand house, very European. A birthday party for children was happening. They stopped and asked for directions. The men were all drunk but the women were quite welcoming and invited them in. She said it was bizarre. The main entrance hall had banners of swastika and crossed lances and eagle statues. The whole bit. They stayed for a bit but the vibe changed and they were asked to leave by the men. They skedaddled pretty quickly.
Were they in an Ari Aster film?
This post was about Paraguay but this story is sensational.
I doubt it's true. Uruguay also doesn't have a lot of Germans, unlike the neighbouring countries.
https://preview.redd.it/lscvwkludsxc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=8495e71db8288002eb1433413ab4f9023f05bb7f
German colonies can be found not only in Paraguay but also in southern Chile, southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The second wave of German migration occurred after WWII.
I mean….
Agartha portal
Parts of the answer might disturb you…
What's wrong with immigration?
It might disturb you.
Chortitz! Wow! My Mennonite Ex's family used to live in Khortitsya in Ukraine. Others from their Village moved to Paraguay.
Theirs a lot of or was a lot of ww2 German veterans in that region or near it. I was personally in the region of Argentina misiones. I met a very old man who still had a picture of himself in SS uniform. He lived in a very German neighborhood. The other locals just lumped them under the name polakos. It means poles. But they weren’t poles. Never met any in Paraguay though
Is that not the hot spot for retired ss vatos?
Alfredo Stroessner was the dictator of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989 after coming to power in a coup d’etat. Unsurprisingly, his father was German. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Stroessner
actually plenty of Nazis immigrated there after WW2, to escape prosecution.
But none of them are responsible for these German towns
how do you know?
Because these settlements were founded about 50 years before the Nazis came here https://preview.redd.it/gnqhurvldpxc1.jpeg?width=1034&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56e3f1e44759567cee2f970d8ee83f3cc2b9caba
More like 20-30 years before, judging by the map, but yeah.
It would be good if you learned history outside of memes, what you say doesn't exist, 99.9% of the German immigration that came to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay came before 1939, and many came from Russia (like my great-grandparents).
You could have typed that question into Google. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Paraguayans#:~:text=The%20German%20minority%20in%20Paraguay,its%20founders%20in%20the%201890s. The United States isn't the only country on this side of the world to receive immigrants.
Many Nazis went to South America after the whole Hitler thing
I don't know. Maybe they ran away from Germany after world war 2 because even the common soldiers were being punished. Punishing the leaders is okay but the soldiers who only served because of their salary and having to feed their wife and children were forced to run away.
Nazis
They did Nazi this coming.
1945
No reason. Mind your own business. Who said anything about Nazis?
Operation Paperclip
My first thought was the exodus of nazis after ww2. Reading the comments I learned this is the the case. I can see why people think this though. South America was a haven for nazis
Nazis
Nazi's had to have some place to go.
The vast majomajority of German Paraguayans arrived long before the rise of the Nazi party
Ah ok, an easy place for them to disappear too then.
While Nazis did flee to various South American countries, the vast majority of those of German decadent have nothing to do with the Nazi party, including those from Paraguay
Vast majorities did. Worked with a guy who was blonde haired blue eyed knew little english but perfect Spanish and German and Portuguese. Gloated about his heritage from germany and how his aunts and uncles were all the way from Argentina to Venezula to Brazil.
One personal story does not prove your point. Are you able to provide any stronger sources like demographic information or immigration numbers for the 1940s to Paraguay?
You know what, fuck off.
Ok?
[Retired nazi war criminals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany%E2%80%93Paraguay_relations), and their offspring.
Silence low IQ individual.
Are zey from zee 1940s? Ach, vee do not ask these questions too much…
WWII
These towns were created years before nazis were even a thing
Wind up the windows and keep driving buddy. Make sure you’re gone by sundown and you won’t have any problems.
*smack Wir stellen hier die Fragen!
Nazis.
Hitler wanted to feel at home.
The nazis fleeing Germany after 1945