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Nueva Germania (New
Germania Germania ( ; ), also called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman province of the same name, was a large historical region in north ...
, german: Neugermanien) is a district of San Pedro Department in
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to ...
. It was founded as a German settlement on 23 August 1887 by
Bernhard Förster Ludwig Bernhard Förster (31 March 1843 – 3 June 1889) was a German teacher. He was married to Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the sister of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Life Förster became a leading figure in the anti-Semitic ...
, a
German nationalist German nationalism () is an ideological notion that promotes the unity of Germans and German-speakers into one unified nation state. German nationalism also emphasizes and takes pride in the patriotism and national identity of Germans as one n ...
, who was married to
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Förster-Nietzsche (10 July 1846 – 8 November 1935) was the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the creator of the Nietzsche Archive in 1894. Förster-Nietzsche was two years younger than her brothe ...
, sister of the German philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his care ...
. Förster's idea was to create a model community in the New World and to demonstrate the supremacy of German culture and society. Förster committed suicide after the settlement's initial failure. It is located about 297 kilometres from
Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...
, capital of the Republic of Paraguay.


History

Nueva Germania was founded in 1886 on the banks of the Aguaray-Guazú River, about 250 kilometres from Asunción by five, later fourteen, largely impoverished families from
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. Led by
Bernhard Förster Ludwig Bernhard Förster (31 March 1843 – 3 June 1889) was a German teacher. He was married to Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the sister of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Life Förster became a leading figure in the anti-Semitic ...
and his wife,
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Förster-Nietzsche (10 July 1846 – 8 November 1935) was the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the creator of the Nietzsche Archive in 1894. Förster-Nietzsche was two years younger than her brothe ...
, the German colonists emigrated to the Paraguayan rainforest to put to practice
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...
n ideas about the superiority of the Aryan race. It was the declared dream of Förster to create an area of Germanic development, far from the influence of Jews, whom he reviled. The colony's development was hampered by the harshness of the environment, a lack of proper supplies and an overconfidence of the colonist's own supposed ''
aryan supremacy White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White su ...
''. Most settlers soon died of starvation and disease. Those who survived
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue (medical), tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In se ...
and the sand-flea infections rushed to flee Nueva Germania. Those who stayed, convinced of their founder's teachings, married among themselves so as to preserve the racial stock. Förster, who had negotiated the town's titles of property with General
Bernardino Caballero Juan Bernardino Caballero de Añasco y Melgarejo (20 May 1839, Ybycuí, Paraguay – 26 February 1912, Asunción) was a Paraguayan War veteran, the President of Paraguay from 1880 until 1886 and founder of the Colorado Party. He was the leadi ...
, committed suicide in 1889 in the city of
San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...
after abandoning the settlers.
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Förster-Nietzsche (10 July 1846 – 8 November 1935) was the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the creator of the Nietzsche Archive in 1894. Förster-Nietzsche was two years younger than her brothe ...
returned to Germany in 1893. According to Gerard L. Posner, writing in ''Mengele: The Complete Story'',
Josef Mengele , allegiance = , branch = Schutzstaffel , serviceyears = 1938–1945 , rank = '' SS''-''Hauptsturmführer'' (Captain) , servicenumber = , battles = , unit = , awards = , commands = , s ...
, a major German war criminal, spent some time in Nueva Germania while he was a fugitive after World War II. However, the evidence that Mengele ever passed through is shaky at best. Nueva Germania became a quiet community in San Pedro, dedicated to agriculture and specializing in the cultivation of
yerba mate Yerba mate or yerba-maté (''Ilex paraguariensis''; from Spanish ; pt, erva-mate, or ; gn, ka'a, ) is a plant species of the holly genus ''Ilex'' native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leav ...
. Beginning in 2004 the American writer
David Woodard David Woodard (, ; born April 6, 1964) is an American conductor and writer. During the 1990s he coined the term ''prequiem'', a portmanteau of preemptive and requiem, to describe his Buddhist practice of composing dedicated music to be rendered ...
embarked on a series of expeditions to the erstwhile colony. As of 2013 pockets of German culture remained. Most of the population in the area still speak a mixture of German and Guaraní. Immigration increased in 2021, fueled by fears including vaccination.


Economy

One of the most important products of the district is
yerba mate Yerba mate or yerba-maté (''Ilex paraguariensis''; from Spanish ; pt, erva-mate, or ; gn, ka'a, ) is a plant species of the holly genus ''Ilex'' native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leav ...
, along with
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks ...
, cotton, manioc (
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
),
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus ''Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chie ...
,
sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...
, soy,
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeological ...
,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
,
sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...
and
sour orange Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross bet ...
, Paraguayan
lemon verbena ''Aloysia citrodora'', lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to South America. Other common names include lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th c ...
and
sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is c ...
.


Transportation

A branch of Route No. 3 ''General Elizardo Aquino'', a paved road, is the main access to the town, which connects it with
Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...
and other localities of the department. Also, Route No. 11 ''Juana Maria de Lara'', an unpaved road, connects the town with the Amambay Department. Other unimproved roads (of sand or pebbles) connect with different districts and the capital of the department.


Climate

The climate is tropical, with abundant rains, a maximum temperature of about 35 °C, a minimum of 10 °C and an average of 23 °C, with a humidity of 80%. Precipitation exceeds 1300 millimeters, especially in summer.


Language

About 80 percent of the population speak the
Guaraní language Guaraní (), specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guarani ( "the people's language"), is a South American language that belongs to the Tupi–Guarani family of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of P ...
. The rest speak a combination of German and Spanish.


Population

The General Directorate of Statistics, Polls and Census has reported the following: * In 1992 the district had 17,148 inhabitants, the majority of whom lived in the town of Santa Rosa del Aguaray. In 2002 Santa Rosa del Aguaray became a municipality in its own right. Consequently, the District of Nueva Germania lost most of its population and territory, though it retained the Mennonite colony Rio Verde to the north of Santa Rosa del Aguaray. * The population is mostly rural and occupied in agricultural activities. * The projected net population by gender for 2002 was 4,335 inhabitants (2,323 men and 2,012 women). As of 2002, about 10 per cent of Nueva Germania's inhabitants were of mainly German origin.Evangelische Gemeinde Düre

Brochure by the Protestant Parish of Düren (in German), contains pictures.


Borders

Nueva Germania borders on * Tacuatí district to the north; *
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of th ...
district to the south, separated from it for the Aguaray Guazú River; * Amambay department and the Santa Rosa del Aguaray district to the east; *
San Pedro de Ycuamandiyú San Pedro de Ycuamandiyú () is a city and distrito in Paraguay. It is the capital of the department of San Pedro. The conquistador Aleixo Garcia, the first European to cross Paraguay and reach the Inca empire in 1524, is believed to have bee ...
district and the Tacuati district to the west..


Hydrography

Nueva Germania district is watered by the rivers Aguaray Guazú and Aguaray mí, and the streams Tutytí and Empalado.


Demographics

Main social and demographic indicators: * Total fertility rate: 3.4 * Percentage of illiteracy in the district: 15.4% * Percentage of housings that have power: 82.0% * Percentage of housings that have running water: 39.6% * Percentage of population that are under the age of 15: 39% * Percentage of population that have access to modern housing: 41.2% * Percentage of population that have access to modern sanitation: 20.9% * Percentage of population that have access to modern educational programs: 13.5% * Percentage of population that are employed in the primary sector of the economy: 60.1% * Percentage of population that are employed in the secondary sector of the economy: 14.3% * Percentage of population that are employed in the tertiary sector of the economy: 25.0%


See also

*
Germans in Paraguay The German minority in Paraguay came into existence with immigration during the industrial age. The " Nueva Germania" colony was founded in Paraguay in 1888; though regarded as a failure, it still exists despite being abandoned by many of its ...
* El Paraíso Verde, a 21st-century private colony established in Paraguay by German-speaking emigrants *


References


External links and further reading

* Ben Macintyre, ''Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche'', New York: Farrar Straus Giroux 1992, reissued as ''Forgotten Fatherland: The True Story of Nietzsche's Sister and Her Lost Aryan Colony'', Broadway 2011
''New York Times'' article on Nueva Germania, 1991


* ttp://www.evangelischegemeinde-dueren.de/cms/upload/download/Internat_Nueva_Germania_2009.pdf Brochure by the Protestant Parish of Dueren (in German) contains pictures
Blog on Nueva Germania with photos

World Gazeteer: Paraguay
– World-Gazetteer.com

* (article deleted)
The Walrus article has been deleted, but has been reproduced in this Wordpress blog
* Kraus, Daniela, ''Bernhard und Elisabeth Försters Nueva Germania in Paraguay. Eine antisemitische Utopie.'' PhD Thesis. University of Vienna. 1999 * Kurzwelly, Jonatan. ''Being German and Being Paraguayan in Nueva Germania: Arguing for “Contextual Epistemic Permissibility” and “Methodological Complementarity.”'' PhD Thesis. University of St Andrews. 2017 * Kurzwelly, Jonatan (2019), "Being German, Paraguayan and Germanino: Exploring the Relation Between Social and Personal Identity" in ''Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research'', 2/2019. doi:10.1080/15283488.2019.1604348 * Sussman, Nadia and Simon Romero, 2013, "A Lost Colony in Paraguay" Video
"A Lost Tribe in Paraguay"
{{Authority control Utopian communities Populated places in the San Pedro Department, Paraguay Populated places established in 1888 * Settlement schemes