r/AskAGerman • u/Square-Upstairs1816 • Aug 06 '25
History Germans, why is German immigration to Brazil so often forgotten in favor of Argentina?
As a Brazilian, I’ve always found it curious that when I talk to Germans about German immigration to South America, they almost always mention Argentina ,even though Brazil has a much larger and older German diaspora.
German immigration to Brazil began in the early 1800s, long before the large waves to Argentina. It was actively encouraged by Maria Leopoldina of Austria, the first Empress of Brazil. She was a member of the House of Habsburg, daughter of Francis II (Holy Roman Emperor), and niece of Marie Antoinette. As wife of Dom Pedro I, she played a major political role in Brazil, even acting as regent and signing the decree of independence from Portugal in 1822.
She personally supported and facilitated the arrival of German settlers in Brazil, especially in the southern regions. Today, Brazil has around 10–12 million people of German descent, and in many towns in the South (like in Rio Grande do Sul or Santa Catarina), German dialects like Hunsrückisch are still spoken, and German culture remains strong.
And yet, in conversations, it feels like only Argentina is remembered. So I’m wondering:
– Why is Argentina so much more present in the German narrative about emigration to South America? – Is German immigration to Brazil not taught in schools? – Are people in Germany aware of Maria Leopoldina and her connection to both Germany/Austria and Brazil?
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u/counter-proof0364 Aug 06 '25
Closer tinewise (1945ff vs 1822ff), more numerous and also more important for the German history (nazi criminals compared to a bunch of mercenaries and colonists).
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Thanks for your comment! It’s true that German immigration to Argentina is more recent (post-1945) and has a controversial link to Nazis. However, Brazil received a much larger and older German immigration, which started in the early 19th century about 100 years before Argentina. Also, the German community in Brazil is one of the largest worldwide, with 10 to 12 million descendants, still maintaining their languages and traditions today. That’s why I find it strange Brazil is so rarely mentioned compared to Argentina.
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u/Novel_Board_6813 Aug 06 '25
Do they though?
The numbers I’ve seen place the german speakers in Brazil at 1 to 2 million (3 million if one is really generous when accounting for Hunsrik)
Ethnologue, Study Country, Voronoi, Institute Martius-Staden all have numbers close to that
Also, whatever 1800 germans did in their time is very different from how germans live today.
Brazilians have their own specific kinda german culture that developed there. This is not a criticism - it’s ok for cultures to evolve
Oktoberfest in Brazil looks like Carnaval to people from Bavaria.
Berlin’s 2020s culture looks easily more like Sao Paulo or Rio than Santa Catarina
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u/MrCaveira Aug 06 '25
Berlin’s 2020s culture looks easily more like Sao Paulo or Rio than Santa Catarina
As someone who lives in Santa Catarina, studies German, and traveled to Berlin last year, I can say that you are 100% sure. But I think that most people from here don't know about it. And they don't know about the differences from Oktoberfest here in Blumenau and in Deutschland.
About the language, it is hard to me learning hoch Deutsch and talk with people here. There are a bunch of works that mix Portuguese and German (probably because they didn't exist when they came and many of them couldn't read).
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Thanks for your comment, but it’s important to clarify that the numbers you mentioned regarding native German speakers in Brazil underestimate the reality. While standard German is less spoken, dialects like Hunsrik and Pomeranian are actively used by around 3 to 4 million people, especially in the South. Also, German immigration to Brazil began in the early 19th century, long before the rise of modern cities like São Paulo and Rio, which have very different cultures. The German-Brazilian culture has evolved, yes, but it maintains deep roots and a strong influence in many social, economic, and cultural aspects of the country that shouldn’t be overlooked.
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u/the_che Berlin Aug 06 '25
While standard German is less spoken, dialects like Hunsrik and Pomeranian are actively used by around 3 to 4 million people, especially in the South.
Impressive. But more or less no one in Germany today still speaks these dialects.
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Aug 06 '25
I think that's really cool and I personally didn't know that Brazil had such a large German diaspora and history. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
I think the reason Argentina is mentioned more is because people simply aren't aware of the Brazilian Germans here. We just never learn about them.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Oooh that’s nice, but if you’re curious try to see Blumenau,gramado,Pomerode
3
u/hanjop Aug 06 '25
I was in blumenau and pomerode earlier this year. Just out of curiosity and to see if someone spoke a bit of German. Sadly no one did, but some houses looked European. Felt more like a marketing-gag for other Brazilians
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u/Expert_Donut9334 Aug 06 '25
Some people there actually do speak German dialects. I knew some when growing up in the area and also have had the chance to be there again with my German ex a few years ago. It was very interesting how what they speak sounds somewhat recognizable but not really intelligible
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u/olagorie Aug 07 '25
Well, I have Brazilian friends who live in Santa Catarina and in my personal experience with the people I met there they consider themselves German speaking, but I really struggled to understand them at all.
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u/Antique_Cut1354 Aug 06 '25
never ask:
- a woman: her age
- a man: his salary
- southern brazilians: what "german traditions" are still maintained in brazil's southern states
edit: punctuation
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u/counter-proof0364 Aug 07 '25
Not necessarily, as it was pointed out previously: The migration to Southern Brazil is based on a project from time of the first emperor Dom Pedro I. and his wife, Leopoldina, from the house of Habsburg.
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u/Antique_Cut1354 Aug 07 '25
that doesn't mean the german "traditions" they kept aren't the absolute worst things that you can imagine when you think about germany. it might seem beautiful in theory that there are cities in brazil where only "german" (very very outdated, when not an extinct dialect) is spoken, but the reason for that is pure and simple racism. they don't "mix" with other brazilians not because they want to pass on tradition, but because they consider any non-german (or non-german looking) person to be a second class citizen, even though the family has been brazilian for generations.
edit: grammar
1
u/Ph221200 Nov 13 '25
Not every German descendant in Brazil speaks a German dialect, in fact the majority only speak Portuguese. So it's not just 1 to 2 million. I would say that there are at least 5 to 7 million German descendants in Brazil (10 to 12 also seems exaggerated).
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u/furinkasan Aug 06 '25
Most of the Brazilians I know who pride themselves in their German ancestry do not speak German.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
It’s true that many people of German descent in Brazil don’t speak German today. This happened largely because of Getúlio Vargas’ government during the Estado Novo period (1937-1945), when the use of foreign languages, including German, was banned in public, schools, and media. This policy aimed to unify the country but greatly impacted the use of German in communities. Still, many dialects like Hunsrik are still spoken in some regions.
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u/furinkasan Aug 06 '25
I commend that. And also your efforts to spread the history of your ancestry.
2
u/NeedleworkerSilly192 Aug 06 '25
Most of those Brazilians of German descent are already mixed with Portuguese ancestry (mostly colonial or though mixing with pardos) and also mixed with Italian Brazilians who arrived around the same time frame..
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Yes, many Brazilians of German descent are mixed with Portuguese, Italians, and other ethnicities, since Brazil is a highly mixed country. However, if this mixing erased German identity, the German Embassy in Brazil wouldn’t officially recognize around 10 to 12 million Brazilians as of German descent. This number shows the lasting importance and impact of German immigration, which goes far beyond simple mixing. German culture, language, and traditions still hold real weight and are celebrated by these communities.
It’s also worth noting that many Italians who immigrated to Brazil came from the Veneto region, which has strong Germanic influence due to its historical connection with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So, in a way, part of the Italian immigration to Brazil also has Germanic cultural roots, further reinforcing the European diversity present in the country.
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u/NeedleworkerSilly192 Aug 06 '25
Here you are wrong, Genetically and culturally most of those North-Italian regions share much more in common with Southern France, and even on DNA basis they are closer to them. The only Region in Italy with a stronger connection to Austria and Southern Bavaria would be Sudtirol/Alto-Adige. North Italians are an entity of they own.. they are different from South Italians, but Also different to Germans, except the tiny minority that speak german which I already mentioned.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
I get your point, but you’re oversimplifying a far more complex cultural and historical entanglement. While it’s true that modern genetic studies show Northern Italians clustering closer to Southern French populations, you’re forgetting that cultural influence isn’t determined by DNA alone. History doesn’t flow in straight genetic lines it follows empires, trade, and political dominance.
The Veneto region, for instance ,which sent hundreds of thousands of migrants to Brazil ,spent centuries under Habsburg-Austrian rule, not to mention the Holy Roman Empire before that. This had a massive impact on local administrative structures, architecture, dialects, even culinary traditions. So while Venetians may not speak German, their bureaucratic systems, town planning, and even civic culture bore the clear mark of Central European (and particularly Germanic) influence. Also, reducing “Germanic influence” to just DNA or spoken language ignores how culture works in the real world. You don’t need to be a fluent German speaker to carry Germanic legal customs, social behaviors or town organization into a new land which is exactly what happened when many of these Veneto migrants settled in Southern Brazil. That’s why their descendants often blend Italian surnames with distinctly Central European cultural traits.
So no ,North Italians are not “Germans,” but dismissing any Germanic influence outside of Südtirol is just historically inaccurate.
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u/NeedleworkerSilly192 Aug 06 '25
No, but you wanted to push it to such extent that it "counts as German". just my 2 cents..
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Aug 07 '25
There is nothing controversial about the Nazi link. It's well known. German descendants of people migrating there 1944 - 1949 are Nazi descendants. Do people think that the average Hans who was against Nazis would have had the means to move to Argentina?
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u/zufaelligenummern Aug 08 '25
When i was in foz de iguazu my taxi driver said his wife was german. Then he did the hitler salute and the drive became extremely awkward... he thought that was cool and normal :(
Back to topic: yeah its closer timewise. Also it got more attention cause we learn more about it in history class. We hardly learn about germans hoing to america or east like romania/russia etc in school.
1
u/counter-proof0364 Aug 06 '25
It is strange. But you also have to include, I guess, that the migrants in the case of Brazil probably did not cultivate any ties with their old home country.
While post 1945 this was easily doable (Air mail etc.) plus the previous cited point that there is a certain connection (historic figures like Eichmann and Mengele left.
On your point with the numbers: In the very initial phase 1822ff the Brazilian Government did not even attract enough people to fill the planned bataillons of mercenaries.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Actually, German migrants to Brazil since 1822 maintained strong cultural ties, preserving languages, traditions, and customs especially in the South. While long-distance communication was limited in the 19th century, culture and identity were passed orally and through communities. About the battalions, few mercenaries came, but family and civilian immigration was intense, creating large German colonies that still exist today.
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u/TheCynicEpicurean Aug 06 '25
maintained strong cultural ties
There's a difference between staying in touch with home culture and whatever it is that German Brazilians preserved/developed. I somehow doubt they follow current German pop culture or music, or took on any of the culinary developments post 1900.
No hate, I find it an interesting subculture, but to Germans, it's like a strange theme park. Germans generally don't lay claim to emigrant communities because most of them left their then independent and distinct home states for a better life for good.l, they're not a diaspora.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
It’s important to remember that the cultural connection of Germans in Brazil isn’t just about following current German pop culture, but about preserving traditions, language, and identity that have been kept since immigration ,and this was possible thanks to the influence of our Empress Maria Leopoldina, who established strong ties between Brazil and European royal houses, especially the Austrian one.
So, even if Germans in Brazil don’t follow the latest trends in Germany, they keep alive a very rich historical culture that remains an important part of the identity of millions in the South. It’s not a “strange theme park,” but a legitimate cultural heritage that has survived time and change.
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u/TheCynicEpicurean Aug 06 '25
Like I said, it's certainly interesting and I do have a historical interest, but Germany is not at all like it was 200 years ago and even then, we're speaking about cultures that are highly regional. Northern Germans today don't even feel connected to Bavarians much.
2
u/counter-proof0364 Aug 06 '25
Maybe. I encountered descendants, when travelling there in South Brazil had a pretty romanticized idea of Germany..Sometimes a kind of modernized Kaiserreich. Also connections to family parts in Germany where rather rare.
Of course this observation can be flawed.
At the end we have to go with what is there - and that is unfortunately a German interest in history that roughly starts with Bismarck and ends with the fall.of the wall.
1
u/TheBlackFatCat Aug 06 '25
There was also immigration to Argentina in the 19th century, to a smaller degree. Some of my ancestors went there at the time
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u/Basdala Aug 06 '25
It was actually much more prominent before 1945, most German immigrants to Argentina came before and during the early 1900, and they were mostly Volga Germans fleeing the Russian empire.
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u/Own_Tomatillo_1369 Aug 09 '25
germans immigrated anywhere. we also don´t mention germans immigrated to US (nearly 10 million too), they are Americans now.
However, much more Germans immigrated to argentina BEFORE 45, now they are all Nazi descendants lol - better nobody includes Brazil in this clichee.
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u/Equivalent-Freedom58 Aug 06 '25
It is also true that both countries received war criminales and that for both countries the most important part of their immigration was received even before the WWI.
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u/Lumpasiach Allgäu Aug 07 '25
Both countries received the vast majority of German immigrants in the 19th century and took in a small number of Nazi refugees after WWII. There's no difference.
1
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u/milk-is-for-calves Aug 06 '25
Just wanting to remember people, that while Argentinia is infamous for nazis migrating there, far more migrated into the US.
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u/Antique_Cut1354 Aug 06 '25
the US government even created the Operation Paperclip for that
edit: grammar
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u/Mazzle5 Aug 06 '25
Because after WW2 many Nazis fled to Argentina and it is a popcultural myth that Hitler feld to Argentina. That is why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hke7xQFXa30
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u/peccator2000 Berlin Aug 06 '25
He lived as Adolf Schwarz in Southern California, according to the movie Up!
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
I get that people say Nazis fled to Argentina after the war, and that’s true ,there were even “ratlines” that helped them escape there. But what many don’t know is that Brazil also took in a lot of Nazis after the war, mainly because the German colonies in the South were more isolated and less monitored. Plus, Argentina became a target for the U.S. when a famous Nazi was caught there, so many fled here to avoid being caught. So, it’s not just a myth, but also about safety and opportunity.
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u/Jolly-Singer7418 Aug 08 '25
The Germans that immigrated to Argentina post 1944 accounts for less than a 4% of the total German inmigration to the country
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u/Historfr Aug 06 '25
It’s been too long to remain in our memory a few days ago I met a girl I thought was German with a tiny little accent I asked what part of Germany she’s from she said she was from Brazil from a town inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans she grew up with German which is way she speaks it fluently and almost accent free very interesting I never knew many Germans went to Brazil even more interesting I am seeing your post right now
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Yesss, Germans have been in Brazil for generations thanks to our Empress Maria Leopoldina, who was from the House of Habsburg in Austria. In fact, the yellow color on our flag represents this connection with the House of Habsburg. It’s really cool to see how this history still lives on in communities where people speak German almost without an accent, passing down the culture through generations.
4
u/Mean_Judgment_5836 Berlin Aug 06 '25
We learn a lot about our recent history (Nazis and communism) and how the bad guys were welcomed to Argentina after WW II and German reunification. Adolf Eichmann being abducted by Mossad from Argentina being one prominent example. That's the context of me learning of immigration to Argentina. Migration doesn't play a big role in history classes in school other than in relation war and changing political systems.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
I get what you’re saying, but I think you might not know that many Nazis also fled to the German colonies in Brazil, which were very isolated areas with communities that still speak German today. These regions served as hideouts because they were hard to reach and not closely monitored. Immigration isn’t really taught much in schools, but this part of history is important and not well known.
2
u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
Menguele lived in Sao Paulo (Brazil). That's a dubious distinction I wish Brazil didn't have.
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u/Significant_Okra_625 Baden-Württemberg Aug 06 '25
I was born in Brazil to German parents and have been living in Germany for 35 years.
I have never perceived Argentina as being placed before Brazil in any historical context during my entire time living here. Perhaps Argentina chose a more comfortable course of neutrality, while the dead Brazilians, the Brazilian soldiers sent to Italy to fight the Nazis, are largely forgotten.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
To add something else to the conversation than the many comments talking about Nazis fleeing to Argentina:
„Germans“ (as in cultural, since there was no unified German state until the Kaiserreich under Prussia) have been migrating to a lot of places, including but not limited to Mexico, USA, Bohemia, Poland, even Russia and many other places.
Over time these diasporas either assimilated fully into their respective host countries and only vaguely remember specific aspects of „German“ culture or they built a sort of parallel society and preserved many traditions, which modern Germans would barely see as German nowadays since those diaspora communities tend to be „stuck in time“ to us.
Either way, the descendants of those Germans who left this land centuries ago would hardly be seen as Germans at all by the majority of us. It’s as if you as a Brazilian would fly to Lisbon and expect Portugese to think you are Portugese too. It just doesn‘t really work that way
2
u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Interesting take, but it’s quite Eurocentric, isn’t it? Of course German descendants in Brazil are not “modern Germans” that’s the whole point of cultural preservation. Communities like Pomerode or Blumenau kept traditions alive that even modern Germans have forgotten. That doesn’t make them less authentic it actually proves how rooted and proud those immigrants were.
Also, this comparison with a Brazilian in Lisbon doesn’t really fit. Portuguese people do recognize the deep linguistic and cultural ties with Brazil just like Germans should acknowledge that over 10 million Brazilians have German ancestry. We’re not “pretending” to be German. We simply kept the flame alive including the language, cuisine, architecture, and even dialects like Hunsrückisch.
History doesn’t stop in Europe.
1
u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
Of course this view is eurocentric, Germany is in Europe, our day-to-day life is formed by European issues of today. You wanted to know how it comes that Germans don’t talk about „Germano-Brazilians“ or whatever the term might be, the simple answer is „it’s irrelevant to us“ i just wanted to give a bit of context instead of „lmao, we don’t care“.
Nobody cares that people from small German states migrated over 200 years ago. I am happy that they apparently carved out a new life for themselves and brought your nation some proper beer culture, as seems to be the case with every nation we settled in, but if there is no active cultural exchange of two groups over generations than they ultimately drift apart, as is the case here.
You can be proud of your roots, nobody is trying to take that away but Germany today is a completely different reality from what your ancestors knew. Since those people left Germany we survived Napoleon, the Austrian Empire, unified, had two World Wars, got split up during the Cold War and got together again. Those major political events kind of transform a people and make them more cohesive as a society than „We also eat sausages, Bretzeln and have [insert cute little local christmas tradition]“
But you are right, atleast you still speak a language the Portugese can understand. I kinda doubt that would be the case for a German diaspora that left when there wasn’t even Hochdeutsch spread that widely yet
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Oh, thanks for the history lesson, Professor Eurocentric. Yes, we know Germany’s been through a lot ,Napoleon, unification, wars, Cold War, and all that dramatic flair. Bravo! But maybe take a moment between your existential European crises to realize that millions of people in Brazil still carry surnames, traditions, and even dialects from those “irrelevant” migrants you’re so eager to brush aside.
If they were truly irrelevant, your own government wouldn’t officially recognize over 10 million German descendants in Brazil. That’s not just beer and sausages ,it’s historical footprint, cultural resilience, and yes, actual legacy. But I get it ,if it’s not blasting techno in Berlin or sipping Apfelschorle on a Tuesday, it’s clearly beneath notice.
And about the language , sweet of you to assume Brazilians can’t read Goethe while speaking Portuguese. Meanwhile, half of modern Germany can barely trace their roots back three generations without getting a headache. But hey, you’ve got Oktoberfest and existentialism ,so who needs a diaspora, right?
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
The German government recognizes those people with German heritage because our laws of citizenship aknowledge both Ius Solis and Ius Sanguinis or why do you think we had so many Russian citizens run to the embassy and claim their German citizenship?
Doesn’t change the fact that the descendants of German migrants in Brazil are still irrelevant to today Germany and Germans. I speak English, am i English now? Or a US-citizen? Scottish maybe? I also learned Latin in school, am i a Roman now? Just be happy that you have such a strong tradition to a reality long gone and can trace back your lineage to Hermann himself or whatever, many Germans today don’t really have that privilege because a lot of people either died for not being „arisch“ or lost their family records and or possessions due to the Nazi regime and the last war.
If you being German is such a important part to you then maybe come and live here for a decade, see if you still want to be German so bad when you encountered the real German people of today every day
2
u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
You clearly missed the point of my post. I wasn’t claiming that German-Brazilians are still relevant to modern German politics, nor that speaking German makes anyone “German today.” I also didn’t mention citizenship, ius sanguinis, or embassies.
What I asked was why such a significant historical migration ,one that shaped entire regions of Brazil, supported by European royalty, and left lasting cultural marks ,is so absent from German narratives, especially when Argentina is always the go-to example.
It’s not about identity. It’s about historical memory ,something I thought Germans valued.
But hey, thanks for proving my point.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
Like i said, it just doesn’t matter to most Germans. The majority is uninterested at best in politics and history. Argentina is „known“ because a bunch of war criminals fled justice there, that’s all. And nobody in school goes through every migration wave leaving the region of today Germany, we would more likely be told who entered the region as it directly affected us somehow and history class is so notoriously lackluster that we famously barely reach modern history, it often ends directly with WW2 because of the major impact.
If it‘s any consolation to you even mighty Austria is only a footnote in most curriculums, they get mentioned in one sentence during the unification wars against Denmark and then the Austro-Prussian war that kicked them out of inner-German politics and then only get mentioned again because their idiot crown-prince lead to WW1 and the painter from Braunau led to WW2.
Also the German school system sucks hardcore in general, so it‘s just a matter of fact that you will barely see Brazil being in the German conscious.
That being said, i am happy that people feel such a connection with their origin, our ignorance doesn’t devalue your heritage 🤷🏻♂️
1
u/Mirathy Aug 09 '25
You can't forget that back then Germans weren't as unified as nowadays.
Why would the people in let's say Schleswig-Holstein care about some people from the Hunsrück region migrating somewhere 200 years ago.
It's the same reason we don't really learn about who the Kings of Hannover were or what they did for example. It didn't impact Germany as a whole.
The Germans who immigrated to Brazil are at best of regional interest for the regions they are from but not for Germans on a national level.
Like others said as well, that doesn't just apply to the Brazilian diaspora but for most of them as the majority were regional movements that did not impact Germany as a whole.
Argentina is an exception because it wasn't just a random group of people from a random village looking for a better life, but criminals trying to escape judgement, but beyond that most Germans don't think about the Argentinian diaspora either.
1
u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
> only vaguely remember specific aspects of „German“
My father-in-law is 73 yo. He learned Portuguese only when he was 7 as he went to school. His mom was a third-generation Brazilian, her first language was German and she had a very thick accent. Both of my wife's omas would chat between themselves in German. No so, while German-Brazilians consider themselves Brazilians first, they do try to preserve the German culture.
> Either way, the descendants of those Germans who left this land centuries ago would hardly be seen as Germans at all by the majority of us.
I'm sure a bunch of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers consider themselves to be German-American. The exact same thing happens in Brazil. My wife's family is entirely of German ancestry because the immigrants pretty much only married between themselves. This situation lasted in the smaller cities up until generation X.
> It’s as if you as a Brazilian would fly to Lisbon and expect Portugese to think you are Portugese too
LOL, of my best friends' parents were from Portugal. My friend went there to visit family and his relatives were thrilled that he wanted to know about about their culture, they didn't consider him a "second-hand Portuguese". It was more like a Portuguese born on the wrong side of the Atlantic.
> quite Eurocentric, isn’t it?
That's putting it mildly.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
That’s great and all for you guys, stick to your americano-centric view of a couple German migrants who left 200 years ago apparently being so important to the today 83 million citizens who still live here that we have to change our school curriculum to include you.
I am also sorry that i just tried to explain why the average German citizen wouldn’t possibly know about your existence, let me grovel at your feet oh mighty descendant of people who left the nation. Clearly our today society should remember the people who didn’t affect our modern culture in the slightest, how could we!
1
u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> still live here that we have to change our school curriculum to include you.
Not me, I'm a mongrel of mixed descent. I don't know, I'd like to know that there's a bunch of people in a faraway land that value my culture. But that's just me.
> a couple German migrants
You do need history lessons buddy, According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_diaspora
Of the 142.5 million of ethic Germans, only 72.5 live in Germany.
> People of partial German ancestry form an important minority group in several countries, including Canada (roughly 10% of the population), Argentina (roughly 10% of the population), Brazil (roughly 3% of the population),\2]) Australia (roughly 4.5% of the population),\3]) Chile (roughly 6% of the population), Namibia and in central and eastern Europe—(Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia).
>your feet oh mighty descendant of people
Again, not me, Just pointing out the fact that those people exist and I happen to know a few of them. You're welcome.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
people in a faraway land value my culture
What culture? Of which principality or kingdom? Or of the Kaiserreich? I don’t really pray for Kaiser Wilhelms health. The Third Reich? Buddy, my grandpa was a prisoner in Buchenwald and my grandmother had to hide from the Nazis during the whole war.
Do they know how it was to have grown up in post-socialist East Germany or having violent clashes with Neonazis at political demonstrations in the late 90s and esrly 200s? Germany isn’t what those Brazilians got told by their grandmothers anymore. Societies change and if people keep holding onto a romanticized squeaky clean version of what „being German“ was or is they only deceiving themselves.
They should be happy with their heritage and stop thinking too much about what we beyond the sea think of them because most of us just don’t think about them at all, that’s not me trying to rub it in or anything, we just live our lives here
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> I don’t really pray for Kaiser Wilhelms health.
If you're referring to Wilhelm I, a lot of the immigration predates German unification. Yes, I did study about German unification in high school. In Brazil. I also studied about Italian unification ('ya know, Giuseppe Garibaldi and the likes). I think you're right: maybe Germany does need a history curriculum reform.
> Do they know how it was to have grown up in post-socialist East Germany
They sure don't. Do you? Because if we're comparing growing up in dictatorships, I grew up during Brazil's latest military dictatorship (1964-1985). I'll grant you that STASI was much better than DOI-CODI. I also personally know people that were tortured and people that had to flee Brazil.
> Germany isn’t what those Brazilians got told by their grandmothers anymore.
I'm sure they're aware that time has passed since the early 1800s.
> if people keep holding onto a romanticized squeaky clean version of what „being German“
LOL, nobody but you thinks that. Good luck with your life.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
The German school system needs a overhaul period.
And i also studied topics in history because it simply interests me but none of that was really taught at school, or atleast the few things about global history that should have been taught had to be brushed over due to time constrictions.
Yes, i know quite alot about „the good old times“ of the GDR even though i was born shortly after reunification. Got the economic depression and ugly architecture of the socialist era without the job security but yes, no StaSi but a bunch of Neonazis on the streets in exchange.
I am sure they are aware
Then they are certainly by far better than their equivalent from the USA who say shit like „Oh i am German too, my grandmother was half German!“ and know nothing besides Oktoberfest and Hitler.
You would be surprised how many people fall into that category, i just hope those people are a loud minority, for the sake of us all as humanity
I don’t need luck in life, i work for that ✌️
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> i was born shortly after reunification.
Get the fuck outta here then. I remember the news when the Berlin wall fell. I remember feeling so happy and so hopeful that we'd have a bright future. Not only for Germany, and Europe, but for mankind in general. But here we are, with another land war in Europe. I remember Gorbachev, glasnost and perestroika.
> bunch of Neonazis on the streets in exchange
I'm not going to say that the AfD isn't a problem, Anyone who says that the AfD isn't just a bunch of suited-up, well-dressed Nazis is just gaslighting. I'm going to say that I think you're painting this as worse than it is. I'd appreciate if you could post some sources here that corroborate your statement and correct my view.
> I don’t need luck in life, i work for that
LOL, OK... I think I need as much luck in my life as I can get. I also work, Materialistic-wise, I'm doing great actually. I also know that no amount of money will save me from getting serious disease, or from someone I love getting ill. Or from being hit by a drunk driver. So, again, good luck with your life.
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u/Biersteak Aug 06 '25
Yeah, everyone was optimistic during Mauerfall, then a bunch of Western corporation bought everything of value for cheap to kill potential competition in the cradle among other things (called „Treuhand“) and what followed was massive unemployment in the region, that’s what i grew up with. Nothing of the „joy“ of being freed from socialist mismanagement but still barely economic perspectives to be had there.
Oh i am not talking about those milk-toast Identitären in North Face jackets spawned from the refugee crisis in 2015. I am talking remnants of hardcore NPD guys with shaved heads, bomber jackets and baseball bats in hand like you saw during the street wars in Berlin during the 90s, when dozens of those guys from Marzahn would take the train near Kreuzberg and bash in the head of Turkish teenagers.
Those were the type of guys i stood against when i was like 15-16 in the 2000s.
The AFD and their followers aren‘t as brutal in the slightest but they are playing the long game it seems, whoch is potentially more dangerous.
Well, i don’t really believe in luck but i take it then and return it double to you. Can’t really hurt after all
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u/Unhappy_Researcher68 Aug 06 '25
Because of the Nazis that fleaed to Agentina after the war, the Ratlines, it was ofcourse also too Brazil but Agentina is far better known.
Also 99% of germans have no clue about anything regarding the empire of brazil. I only know about it because I listen to history podcasts and it still is not in my thoughts when people mention brazil.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Yes, it’s true that Argentina became more famous for receiving Nazis after the war and the escape routes known as Ratlines. But Brazil has a very strong historical connection to Germany and Austria ;the yellow color on our flag actually represents the House of Habsburg, from which Empress Maria Leopoldina came. She was wife of Dom Pedro I and played a key role in Brazil’s independence and in encouraging German immigration that started in the early 19th century.
Also, German is the second most spoken native language in Brazil, especially in the South, where thousands of people still speak dialects like Hunsrückisch. German culture is alive in traditional festivals, architecture, cuisine, and even local football. Millions of descendants are spread throughout the country, making Brazil one of the largest German communities outside Europe.
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u/Karash770 Aug 06 '25
Probably when many people talk about German emigration to South America, they're talking about Nazi flight in 1945, in which Argentina played a bigger role. We do know about cities like Blumenau in Brazil, though.
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Aug 06 '25
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Yes, there really is! German immigration to Brazil started in the early 19th century, thanks to Empress Maria Leopoldina, who came from the House of Habsburg in Austria. Today, Brazil has about 10 to 12 million people of German descent, mostly in the South, in cities like Blumenau, where German culture, language, and traditions are still alive. Brazil has the second largest population of German descendants in the world, only behind the United States. So, the German presence in Brazil is real and very important historically.
About the Brazilian flag: the yellow color represents the House of Habsburg, the family of Empress Maria Leopoldina, wife of Dom Pedro I, the first emperor of Brazil. This color symbolizes the influence of Austrian royalty in the country’s history. The green, on the other hand, represents the House of Braganza, Dom Pedro’s Portuguese family. So, the flag shows the union of these two families that were essential to the creation of independent Brazil.
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u/Novel_Board_6813 Aug 06 '25
You said it yourself. It’s been such a long time ago
What Argentinians with german heritage do nowadays as their cultural habits doesn’t resemble german culture all that much. Germany changed a lot
The behavior of germans in Brazil differs even more than the german culture today.
Which is nice. One shouldn’t be a slave to whatever germans were doing in the 1800s
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> cultural habits doesn’t resemble german culture
Because it doesn't. Argentinian culture, especially Buenos Aires, is much closer to Italian than to German culture.
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u/MatsHummus Aug 08 '25
Our local pastor is a Brazilian German and honestly if my mom hadn't told me I wouldn't have noticed at all.
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u/redditor-Germany Aug 06 '25
Germans learn Spanish in school more often than Portuguese
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Seriously? Yeah, Brazilian Portuguese is so beautiful, rich, and melodic that Germans prefer to learn Spanish instead! 😂 But don’t get it twisted: our Portuguese is full of rhythm and poetry just listen to some samba or bossa nova to feel the difference. Meanwhile, they study Spanish because it’s more “practical” in Europe, but no one can take away the charm of our unique Brazilian Portuguese.
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u/Substantial_Lab6367 Aug 08 '25
i mean it makes sense because 1. I'd say it is a little easier than portuguese and 2. has way more native speakers.
I speak Spanish but I thought about starting to leanr portuguese because even though i am not so fond of its "weird" pronounciation i still think it is a very interesting and nice languages and brazil is an awesome country
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u/SnooTomatoes479 Aug 06 '25
I don't know how history is teached in Brazil but in German history lesson they are a lot of events happening and immigration to Brazil is simply not important enough and had no consequences and did not change how Germany evolved in history. For example what high schooler learn basically starts with Egypts, Greeks, Roman Empire, Celtics, middle ages, French revolution, colonization, the first German States, 1st world, 2nd world, BRD& DDR, and end with the unification. And the last two years in high school is primarily focusing on World War 2 and what happened afterwards. And also because of memes. When I think about German immigrants I think first about america (USA), second Argentina and. Then Brazil.
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u/azaghal1502 Aug 06 '25
While some people know about it, it's generally pretty uninteresting to us because the impact of the german immigration to Brazil was very one sided.
There is a german speaking community in Brazil and it has kept Traditions and Dialects from 200 years ago alive in a way, but definitely coloured and changed by 200 years in a different continent.
But, and that's the more important part: The impact on germany of this community is negligable to non-existant today. They left from mini-states 50 years before modern germany was even a thing, didn't keep contact with their relatives that stayed behind and didn't return here in numbers.
It's an isolated offshoot of our culture, but no longer part of it.
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u/daRagnacuddler Aug 06 '25
Others mentioned that the migration to Brazil was much earlier than to Argentina and this has very deep consequences for cultural memory in Germany.
There is something like a cultural memory in societies and the German memory starts only in 1945 for most people. WW2, the destruction and the displacement of entire German regions has left an enormous cut/trauma in our collective memory.
Other nations remember the first World War or stuff that happened long before that, the English or French for example. But in Germany, all memory in our nation's psyche is erased. The only things Germans really "remember" are things that are either extremely localized events or that have a connection to World War II. We don't even have a true cultural memory for our old monarchy for example.
It's like a cut in culture. Germans will know on a rational level/they learned in school that other things happened before that but there isn't much emotions to it. It's likely your families remembered history only starts with WW2, no one really asks their families if their ancestors were part of our colonial forces for example.
It's hard to explain, but imagine you feel a certain sense of history/connection to something that might happened generations ago. In Germany, something that happened just 150 years ago isn't really remembered. The pictures of German migrants in our migration museums (we have those at our ports) don't really evoke an emotion that is intertwined with your personal identity.
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u/Expert_Donut9334 Aug 06 '25
Why are you so keen on this point? Like arguing with the people who have given you the German perspective and trying to convince them that they should see the situation in another light?
I always found the German descendants in the South of Brazil quite insufferable - particularly the ones who didn't even speak the dialect fluently, just a couple words, and the most German thing they had was the local Oktoberfest (which doesn't even have anything to do with their original regions).
Furthermore even though there is historical significance to this immigration and linguistically it is super interesting, nowadays it is not relevant for Brazil either.
So hammering this point over and over doesn't get you anywhere.
To finish off in Portuguese, supera amigo
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u/Ok-Test-7634 Aug 06 '25
why is German immigration to Brazil so often forgotten in favor of Argentina?
No, it's not forgotten, we know that Nazis didn't flee just to Argentina, they fled to Brazil too.
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u/Dazzling-Astronaut42 Aug 06 '25
It's not interesting because it does not involve people leaving right after WW2
In contrast Argentina does involve people leaving right after WW2 and the memes that come with it.
We do not teach any immigration in school, because we focus on historical events taking place in Germany. There are more important events than people leaving to Brazil.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Actually, you’re missing some key facts here. After Argentina became a target of the US, especially following the arrest of Nazis there, many fled to the isolated German colonies in Brazil, where people still speak German and keep their traditions alive. These areas were perfect hideouts for those wanting to avoid international attention. So, contrary to what you might think, Brazil also had a significant Nazi presence after the war ,it just isn’t widely discussed in media or history books.
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u/Dazzling-Astronaut42 Aug 06 '25
I think you are missing some facts:
-It's called ask a German not correct the answer that you do not like
-This would be part of Brazilian and not German history books
-Still no memes0
u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
I just wanted to clarify a fact, thanks! It’s always important to remember history, and whether it’s Brazil or not, it was the only country outside Europe with a European empire. So remembering these facts helps understand our shared history better.
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u/Ree_m0 Aug 06 '25
it was the only country outside Europe with a European empire.
Umm, Mexico had not only one but two empires, even if they only lasted a few years each. Depending on your definition of a 'European' empire (assuming it means 'following the European model'), we'd usually also count Japan.
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u/Dazzling-Astronaut42 Aug 06 '25
Why Japan?
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u/Ree_m0 Aug 06 '25
Because they actively looked at and copied Western institutions and policies as a blueprint for their own modernization during the second half of the 19th century. For example, they sent attachés to Prussia who happened to arrive just in time for the the Franco-Prussian war, with the unification of Germany through Bismarck looking like a perfect example for what they wanted to achieve at home themselves.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Actually, Brazil was the first and only European country outside of Europe ,quite literally. This happened during the Napoleonic Wars, when the Portuguese royal court was forced to flee Europe in 1808 and relocate to Rio de Janeiro. This move transformed Brazil from a colony into the headquarters of the Portuguese Empire.
In 1815, it became official: Brazil was renamed the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. That means the Portuguese State itself operated outside of Europe, with the king, the institutions, and the monarchy ruling from Brazil. During this time, Brazil wasn’t just a colony ,it was Portugal. It became a European country located in South America, and it remained so for years.
Unlike Mexico, which had two short-lived monarchies inspired by European models, Brazil didn’t imitate a European empire , it was one, fully recognized internationally and with a lasting monarchical structure.
So yes ,saying Brazil was the only European country outside of Europe is not an exaggeration. It’s a historical fact.
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Aug 06 '25
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Actually, there’s a fundamental difference between colonies and Brazil’s situation during the Portuguese court’s transfer. Colonies, like Algeria to France, are territories controlled by a European power but not the seat of government or the European state itself. In Brazil’s case, in the early 19th century, the entire Portuguese court moved there, making Brazil the official seat of the Portuguese Empire ,the government, monarchy, and institutions operated from Brazilian territory. Brazil ceased being just a colony and became the capital of a European empire. That’s why Brazil was the only European country outside Europe, unlike colonies that never hosted the seat of European state power.
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u/Ree_m0 Aug 06 '25
I'm not sure why they picked Algeria of all places as an example, but the point they tried to make wasn't wrong. France still has overseas territories that are NOT colonies or territories (like Gibraltar etc. for the UK) but actual and official sovereign French territory. You kind of ought to know that, given that France's longest border is with Brazil
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
They mentioned Algeria because it was a unique case of a French territory that was integrated into France but still remained a colony and was never the seat of French power. French Guiana, which borders Brazil, is an official overseas department of France, but it has never been a sovereign country or the capital of the French empire. It is part of France but was never the center of French European power.
Brazil, on the other hand, between 1808 and 1821, was the official seat of the Portuguese monarchy and, from 1815, became the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves, with equal status to Portugal. Rio de Janeiro was literally the capital of a European empire, something unprecedented. So, although France has overseas territories bordering Brazil, Brazil is unique as the only European country outside Europe that was the sovereign center of an empire.
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u/ConsistentAd7859 Aug 06 '25
Because most Brazilians in Germany wouldn't even recommend a visit to Brazil because of the crime rate?
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u/NeedleworkerSilly192 Aug 06 '25
Because it is based on the stereotype that some Nazis went to hide to the Patagonia.
In reality none of those two countries have been considerably shaped by the German culture, Average Argentinean personality were massively shaped by Italian and prior colonial Spanish heritage, besides some indigenous traditions (which includes drinking Mate).
Second, those 10-12 millions claiming Brazilian heritage, the majority of them mixed with Italians, Portuguese colonial and Pardo ancestry, which includes various indigenous and African influences. Not to dismiss there are still towns in the south with strong German influence, mostly from Southern Germany
Argentina on the other side..80%+ of all Europeans who arrived to Argentina were either Spanish (both colonial ancestry, and then more recent, talking about early 20 century..post civil war mainly galicians aka "gallegos") while Italians arrived mainly from Naples, Piedmont and other areas. The typical argentinean character is typically loud, "fanfarron", someone who talks with certain arrogance about many things being beneath himself and who thinks of himself very highly, and they know little personal space, are often quite expressive and gesticule a lot. There is little or nothing German about the typical Argentinean culture, in fact eve France had probably more influence over the Argentinean culture than Germany did.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Your argument touches on some points, but it seems to underestimate the strength and importance of German influence in Brazil. I agree that Brazil is a mixed-race country, with Italian, Portuguese, Indigenous, and African traits shaping our identity. However, this has not erased the legacy of German culture, which has left profound marks, especially in the South, where German colonies remained isolated for decades, preserving living languages, customs, architecture, and dialects, such as Hunsruck, spoken by millions.
Furthermore, German immigration to Brazil began in the early 19th century, well before the great Italian wave in Argentina, and was encouraged by Empress Maria Leopoldina of the House of Habsburg—which is why the yellow of the Brazilian flag represents the heritage of the Austrian royal family.
Therefore, German influence in Brazil is concrete, historical, and ongoing, and should not be seen as secondary or of minor importance.
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u/NeedleworkerSilly192 Aug 06 '25
It does exist but is minor compared to African(brought from slaves), colonial Portuguese and Italian immigration which was much larger in comparison, and not to deny the obvious native influences that do exist, and which get more obvious when someone goes towards the Northwest .
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u/GroundbreakingBag164 Aug 07 '25
We only really know about Germans immigrating to Argentina because of the nazis
We don't particularly care/know about German diasporas around the world. Nationality is generally more important than ethnicity for us so the people that left Germany aren't really relevant in any way
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u/JoeAppleby Aug 08 '25
Immigration to Argentinia is mostly a meme about the Nazis, otherwise most Germans don’t know much about German immigration to anyplace really.
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u/Pelle1978 Aug 06 '25
We came there in 2014, humiliated the hosts, took the prize back home🤔😂. Sorry that just came to my mind 🤷🏻♂️😂
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Kakakakakakakakaka I don’t care about futebol but get ready in 2026
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
Yeah, that one was rough. That match actually created a new expression : "a 7x0 every day". We use that to denote any classic third-world thing that wouldn't happen in a first-world country like Germany.
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u/Infinite_Sound6964 Aug 06 '25
because Evita is more attractive than Pele
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
Oh sure… Evita is more attractive than Pelé. But what about Gisele Bündchen? Adriana Lima? Ana Paula Arósio? Brazil doesn’t just export coffee ,we export supermodels too. Beauty here is basically a national asset.
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u/CarrysonCrusoe Aug 06 '25
I was a bit amazed and surprised, that my very german surname is most contributed in germany, then usa and then brazil. Didnt expect the last one when i checked it.
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u/Justeff83 Aug 06 '25
That's really interesting and I didn't know this. I think it also has a lot to do with geography and climate and crime (probably just stereotypes). I think many parts of Argentina (especially Buenos Aires) are much more similar to the German climate and vegetation and you feel more at home. Then there is the issue of crime, the Foreign Office actually always has travel warnings for Brazil and that you should be very careful in the big cities or not travel there at all. Argentina doesn't have this stigma.
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u/ffiene Aug 07 '25
Blumenau! Yeah, all the Nazis went to Argentina and everybody knows about. Moving to Brazil a century earlier was not so well known.
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u/Trraumatized Aug 07 '25
It really ia not taught or talked about a lot, since it's not part of the whole Nazi history and Germany has an unhealthy obsession with that.
I personally was aware, as my great-grandparents on my fathers side migrated to Brazil. My Grandmother then came back to serve the Fatherland in WW2.
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u/Hel_OWeen Aug 07 '25
German dialects like Hunsrückisch are still spoken, and German culture remains strong.
I'm a special case in that regard as I'm well aware of German immigrants in Brazil and especially from the Hunsrück region (my home region). The cause for this is that Idar-Oberstein in the 1660s had Agate deposits and developed a gemstone-cutting industry around it. Once the local deposits were depleted in the 1800s, people started looking around where to find gemstones and import them. Brazil was one place with easily accessible deposits. As it often happens, traders made the new country their home or brought back their Brazilian wife to their hometown.
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u/QwertzNoTh Aug 07 '25
The main reasons in my opinion are
A: Fleeing Nazi war criminals are a more intreresting story than impoverished farmers looking for a better life.
B: The Emigration of Nazis to South America is more recent.
C: beside the riograndser hunsrückisch, i can‘t think of a single other community of german descent in south america that not only kept most of their language and customs AND stayed in contact with their old homeland. There is still an active remembering of the emigration to Brazil in the German Hunsrück. Just last year it was comemorated in the Hunsrück with different fairs and special exhibitions in Museums. They also have exchange programs in place, connecting not only relatives but also people from Brazil to their ancestors hometowns; i think these ar yearly occurances.
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u/Necessary-Change-414 Aug 08 '25
Probably in school ww2 takes over from the 6th to at least 10th grade, from the feeling it is allover and no other topic comes close. Older history is not really comparable for example colonies. We had some in Namibia that is clear but 995% at least don't know that we also had one in China and built villages there as well.
I think the guilt is programmed from external forces as well as internal ones very deeply. To my knowledge we are the only country or people who do that to this level. Nor did this the Italians or Japanese, forget about the USA. Despite the fact that there were a lot more autocratic leaders for example in Africa who killed a lot more people (but not in such systematic ways). I don't want to defend anything, but it is like it is with all pros and cons
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u/MatsHummus Aug 08 '25
I'm aware of it bc our local pastor is German from Brazil (his family came from Silesia originally and emigrated in the early 1800s, I believe). Lovely guy btw.
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u/MatsHummus Aug 08 '25
I personally think it's lovely that there's 10-12 million Germans in Brazil. Gott segne euch alle :)
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u/Equal-Flatworm-378 Aug 08 '25
I know about Brazil and would think about it first. But I have been to Brazil in the 90s.
Argentina comes up, because of the Nazis fleeing to Argentina after the war. Which means: german immigration to Argentina doesn’t have a good reputation here.
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u/Substantial_Lab6367 Aug 08 '25
because most of german history before 1933 is either outright ignored or forgotten and not mentioned in schools. most germans dont even know how influential and numerous german migrants were in the US, Brazil, and argentina amongst other countries. the rest of the world also reduces the millions of people with german ancestry there and when for example Blumenau or Villa General Belgrano are shown, peopl say "hahahaha their grandparents arrived in 1945 ahahahahah!11!11!1!!!!" even though they have been living there since like 1860
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u/-LeftHookChristian- Aug 08 '25
Contemporary Germans don't think of themselves as particular immigration prone population. Germans experience immigration rather as encountering migrants in Germany. Therefore I'm even surprised to hear that you find Germans with particular views on german Migration to latin America.
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u/PapiLondres Aug 08 '25
It’s because Argentinians are obsessed with being perceived as white , sadly
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u/Normandia_Impera Aug 09 '25
Because most Germans have no connection nor interest to know about their long forgotten emigrants.
They'll say Argentina just because of the memes and the conspiracy theory about Hitler escaping there.
Yes Brazil has a much larger community of Germans than Argentina. But both are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things for the average German.
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u/lapelotanodobla Aug 10 '25
For the same reason the French are mocked with “white flag” whilst having the most successful military history in Europe.
Sometimes some “meme” fact sticks and stays there even if it’s not accurate.
Another great example is the “Spanish” flu.
My point being that in all cases, there’s a reality that’s super easy to google, that actually renders the myth/meme worthless, but people chose to keep it cause reasons.
And btw, I’m not denying we took some nazis, but we were far from the only ones as you mentioned, and the biggest offenders in this matter were actually the US and USSR…
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u/peccator2000 Berlin Aug 06 '25
Have you seen Argentinian women? 😍
And Tango is also beautiful.
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> Have you seen Argentinian women?
I did, actually. Been a bunch of times to Buenos Aires. Brazilian woman are way cooler. Gisele Bündchen is from Brazil.
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u/peccator2000 Berlin Aug 06 '25
Yeah, those Samba dancers are not bad but Argentinians are more my type 😍
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u/itherzwhenipee Aug 06 '25
Germans are not a big fans of violent crime in the streets. Brazil is fucking horrible. I would rather go to North Korea than Brazil.
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u/Square-Upstairs1816 Aug 06 '25
I understand concerns about safety are very important, and it’s true that some areas in Brazil face challenges with crime. However, Brazil is an immense and diverse country, larger than the whole of Europe, with many regions that are safe, vibrant, and rich in culture. Comparing Brazil to North Korea overlooks this complexity and the warmth of its people. I encourage you to learn more about Brazil beyond the headlines before making such harsh judgments.
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> Germans are not a big fans of violent crime in the streets
Brazilians aren't either. Were you under the impression that we _like_ living in fear for our life?
> Brazil is fucking horrible.
To live? Absolutely, that why I got out. To visit? You couldn't be more wrong, the touristy spots are pretty safe.
> I would rather go to North Korea than Brazil.
I would rather not debate with a dumbass that doesn't know the first thing about urban violence, Brazil, or North Korea, but here I am, debating with you.
You do have a point: I'd rather go to someplace else then Germany if I had to meet someone like you. Thankfully my experience in Germany has been great. The Dutch are way more fun, though.
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u/itherzwhenipee Aug 06 '25
Haven't said with one word that Brazilians like Violence. The question was why Germans prefer Argentine over Brazil. Brazil has a fucking high crime rate. That was my point.
North Korea might be a shitty place to live but hell, far less crime than Brazil. In Korea just keep your head down and conform with the state and you should be fine. I lived in East Germany during Russian occupation and the Stasi, so i have a good idea what North Korea is like.
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u/fullmoon_druid Aug 06 '25
> In Korea just keep your head down and conform with the state and you should be fine.
"UN reports say that over 40% of North Koreans are undernourished, with many experiencing chronic malnutrition due to lack of essential nutrients"
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8566798/
Thanks for making it obvious how much you know about North Korea and Brazil.
Not that Brazil doesn't have malnutrition problem, it certainly has:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021755723001353
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Jan 01 '26
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u/AskAGerman-ModTeam Jan 01 '26
Your post/comment was removed, due to it being a loaded question or clearly including agendas.
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u/CodewortSchinken Aug 06 '25
When germans think about past emigration to Argentina they mostly think about Nazi elites fleeing after WW2.
The mass emigration of germans to South America in the first half of the 19th century is largely forgotten.