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ABSTRACT
This article interrogates and contextualises the settler identification discourses related to Danube Swabians in Entre Rios/Guarapuava in southern Brazil (Paraná). It looks into the origins of Danube Swabian ‘settlerness’, asking why does it play a central role in Danube Swabian identity constructions in Brazil (but also beyond), and how has it changed over time. It follows settlerness as a thread from before the migration to Entre Rios up to the present, fleshing out its meanings and emphasising the persistence as well as the malleability of settler tropes. Discussing Danube Swabians in Brazil, the article pleads for a general critical analysis of the entanglements connecting apparently disparate spaces, such as southeastern Europe and southern Brazil, within a global history of settler colonialism, settler migration, and settler imaginations. Moreover, in engaging with the category ‘settlerness’ - as a category of practice as well as one of analysis – it shows some of the gains and limitations of the theorisations pertaining to settler colonial studies.
Acknowledgments
The research for this article has been conducted within the project “Expellees outside Germany: The Postwar Danube Swabian Migrations to France and Brazil”, carried out between November 2019 and July 2023 at the Institute for Social Movements within Ruhr-University Bochum, and supported by a grant of the German Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media.
The author would like to thank Stefan Berger, Manuela Boatcă, Sacha Davis, Méri Frotscher Kramer, James Koranyi, and Marcos Nestor Stein for their feedback on various work-in-progress versions of this article. The entire team of the Historical Museum in Entre Rios and of the Swabian-Brazilian Cultural Foundation has been of tremendous help, often going out of their way to facilitate my research. Muito obrigado, especially to Roberto Essert, Klaus Pettinger, Viviane Schüssler, and Clarissa Wetzel de Oliveira!
The usual disclaimer applies: all the flaws and errors of this article – hopefully, not that many – are the sole responsibility of the author.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 Kohlhepp, ‘Espaço e Etnia’; do Belem Pereira Kaminski and Fajardo, ‘A apropriação econômica’; Buti, ‘Nas margens’; dos Santos, ‘A imigração’; Klanovicz and Gärtner, ‘Pensando memória ambiental’; Ramos, ‘As colônias’; Buti, ‘A forma jurídica’.
2 Frotscher, Stein, and Anselmo Olinto Olinto, ‘Memória, ressentimento e politização’; Frotscher Kramer, Stein, and Anselmo Olinto, ‘“Eles também não tinham nada”’; Frotscher, ‘A Lost Homeland’; Stein, O Oitavo Dia; Frotscher and Stein, ‘Entre a Antiga e a Nova Pátria’; Stein and Anselmo Olinto, ‘O velho oeste’.
3 See especially Stein, O Oitavo Dia; Stein and Anselmo Olinto, ‘O velho oeste’.
4 Gott, ‘Latin America as a White Settler Society’; Goebel, ‘Settler Colonialism’; Lublin, Memoir and Identity; Rinke, ‘“No Alternative”’; Taylor and Lublin, ‘Settler Colonial Studies’.
5 Kaps, ‘Creating Differences’; Ruthner, ‘Sleeping Beauty’s Awakening’; Parvulescu and Boatcă, Creolizing the Modern.
6 Cordell, ‘Memory, Identity and Poland’s German Minority’; Koranyi and Wittlinger, ‘From Diaspora to Diaspora’; Swanson, Tangible Belonging, 301–44; Cercel, ‘Postwar (West) German – Romanian Relations’; Fisher, Resettlers and Survivors; Koranyi, Migrating Memories, 63–260.
7 Freund, Aufbrüche nach dem Zusammenbruch; Barbian, Auswärtige Kulturpolitik; Penny, German History Unbound, 269–310.
8 Borutta and Jansen, Vertriebene and Pieds-Noirs.
9 Seyferth, ‘German Immigration’; Seyferth, Estudos; Schulze, Auswanderung.
10 Veracini, The Settler Colonial Present.
11 Wolfe, Settler Colonialism; Wolfe, ‘Settler Colonialism and the Elimination’; Veracini, Settler Colonialism, 2010; Veracini, ‘Introducing’; Veracini, ‘On Settlerness’; Veracini, ‘“Settler Colonialism”’ 2013; Cavanagh and Veracini, The Routledge Handbook; Veracini, The World.
12 Wolfe, Settler Colonialism, 1.
13 Veracini, Settler Colonialism, 2010, 8.
14 Veracini, 100.
15 Wolfe, ‘Settler Colonialism and the Elimination’.
16 Veracini, Settler Colonialism, 2010, 75.
17 Veracini, 24.
18 Veracini, ‘Settler Colonialism as a Distinct Mode’, 4.
19 Wolfe, Settler Colonialism; Veracini, ‘“Settler Colonialism”,’ 2013; Huang and Weaver-Hightower, ‘Introduction’, 4.
20 Huang and Weaver-Hightower, ‘Introduction’, 4.
21 Gott, ‘Latin America’; Goebel, ‘Settler Colonialism’; Taylor and Lublin, ‘Settler Colonial Studies’.
22 Gutiérrez Rodríguez, ‘Conceptualizing the Coloniality’.
23 Roche, La colonisation; Conrad, Globalisation and the Nation, 275–333; Schulze, Auswanderung; Seyferth, Estudos.
24 Aulich, Paraná und die Deutschen, 132–33.
25 Seyferth, ‘Identidade’; Seyferth, ‘German Immigration’; Lesser, Immigration, 1–23; Seyferth, ‘The Diverse Understandings’.
26 Schulze, Auswanderung.
27 Seyferth, ‘Identidade’.
28 Wright, ‘Destruction, Resistance, and Transformation’, 332–33; Cassidy, ‘Germanness’; Goebel, ‘Settler Colonialism’; Rinke, ‘“No Alternative”’.
29 See for example da Silva Novak and Mota, ‘Desiguais e combinados’.
30 Dutra e Silva, No oeste.
31 Tadeu Mota, As guerras, 76; Wright, ‘Destruction, Resistance, and Transformation’, 330; Tommasino and Fernandes, ‘Kaingang’; Krüger, Guarapuava, 9; Wachowicz, História do Paraná, 107–17; Souza and Lino, ‘Índios, milicianos e colonos’.
32 Pontarolo, Homens.
33 Gruber de Abreu, ‘A posse e o uso’, 41–49.
34 Currently, the municipality’s administrative area covers 3.168,087 km2: Guarapuava is Paraná’s largest municipality.
35 Gruber de Abreu, ‘A posse e o uso’; Meira Martins, Pioneiros; Pontarolo, ‘Terra, trabalho e resistência’.
36 Moeschlin, Ich suche, 137; Buckeley, Auswanderung, 36–37.
37 Marin, Contested Frontiers, 28.
38 Seewann and Portmann, Donauschwaben, 12, 93; Senz, Die Donauschwaben, 14–18; Swanson, Tangible Belonging, 21–27.
39 Marin, Contested Frontiers, 56.
40 Senz, Die Donauschwaben, 18; Marin, Contested Frontiers, 59.
41 Fata, ‘“Creatio ex nihilo”’.
42 Naranch, ‘Inventing’; Manz, Constructing.
43 Seewann, ‘Siebenbürger Sachse, Ungarndeutscher, Donauschwabe?’, 141.
44 Seewann and Portmann, Donauschwaben, 14.
45 Fata, ‘“Creatio ex nihilo”,’ 175–80; Liulevicius, The German Myth.
46 Zakić, Ethnic Germans, 1, 31.
47 Seewann and Portmann, Donauschwaben, 216.
48 Beer, Flucht und Vertreibung, 86–97.
49 Beer, 12.
50 Senz, Die Donauschwaben, 126.
51 Steinert, Migration und Politik; von Holleuffer, ‘Seeking New Horizons’; Benedini, ‘Las Misiones’; Huhn and Rass, ‘The Post-World War II Resettlement’.
52 Prutsch, Das Geschäft; Schneider, Die Politik; Zahra, The Great Departure; Puchalski, Emigrants into Colonists, 143–79.
53 Cercel, ‘Ethnopolitical Humanitarianism’.
54 Moor, Stefan, and Vayda, ‘Bericht der donauschwäbischen Kommission’; Vayda and Tornquist, ‘Taetigkeitsbericht’.
55 Conselho de Imigração e Colonização (Presidência), Goiás. Also Quintela and Ferreira da Costa, ‘Uma confêrencia’.
56 Moor and Stefan to Coimbra Bueno, 1950.
57 Leupold, ‘Aktennotiz 16.5.1950’.
58 Vasconcellos to Vayda, ‘N. 1514/223.2 Projekt der Schweiz. Caritas’, August 12, 1950.
59 Scavenius, ‘Report of Trip to Parana’.
60 Vayda to Hohermuth, May 26, 1951. See also de Oliveira, Na tribuna.
61 Bose, ‘Neue Wege’.
62 Moor, Stefan, and Vayda, ‘Bericht der donauschwäbischen Kommission’, 5. Unless otherwise specified, translations from other languages into English were made by the author of this article.
63 Stefan, ‘La question’; Moor, Stefan, and Vayda, ‘Bericht der donauschwäbischen Kommission’, 5.
64 Veracini, Settler Colonialism, 2010.
65 Robionek, Ethnische Ökonomie.
66 Moor, Stefan, and Vayda, ‘Bericht der donauschwäbischen Kommission’, 28–32.
67 ‘Bericht Paraná’.
68 Schweizer Europahilfe, ‘Memorandum 28.09.1951’, 6.
69 Schweizer Europahilfe, ‘Protokoll SEH Auswanderung 09.03.1951’, 6, 9; Schweizer Europahilfe, ‘Zusammenfassender Bericht 09.10.1951’, 12; Baumann, ‘Donauschwaben als Kolonisten’, 15.
70 Baumann, ‘Schlussbericht’, 23.
71 See especially Baumann, ‘Was geschieht’; Baumann, ‘Donauschwaben als Kolonisten’.
72 Baumann, ‘Schlussbericht’, 3.
73 Teppert, Geflohen.
74 Mariotti, ‘Das Siedlungswerk’; Baumann, ‘Was geschieht’.
75 Gossner, “Agraria“, 14.
76 Frösch, Guarapuava, 43–44; Teppert, Geflohen, 83.
77 See the dossier „Rückwanderer”, Archive of the Historical Museum Entre Rios. Also Teppert, Geflohen, 83–89.
78 Sendelbach, ‘Bericht’.
79 Teppert, Geflohen, 85.
80 ‘Bericht über die Ursachen’.
81 Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 282.
82 Teppert, Geflohen, 87.
83 Esteche, Mathias Leh, 256.
84 Teppert, Geflohen, 87.
85 Teppert, 74.
86 On rural settler economies and the transition from frontier capitalism to settled and intensive production, see Denoon, Settler Capitalism, 94–124.
87 ‘O trigo no Paraná’. See also Stein, O Oitavo Dia, 14–18.
88 Aulich, Paraná und die Deutschen.
89 Abeck, O raiar, 7–8.
90 Abeck, O raiar. For an extensive analysis of the play, see Stein, O Oitavo Dia, 18–48.
91 Frösch, Guarapuava, 55.
92 Leh, ‘Bericht ueber die Entwicklung’.
93 Leh; Buti, ‘Nas margens’, 150.
94 Teixeira Prieto, ‘The Alliance’; Ondetti, ‘Ideational Bases’, 359.
95 Hochgatterer, Entre Rios, 116–20; Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 326–29; Ruhenstroth-Bauer, ‘Entre Rios – Anmerkungen’; Stoetzer Schneiders and Brandtner Essert, Heimatbuch (2), 114–15.
96 Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 322.
97 Siebert Sapelli, „Escola do campo“.
98 Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 324; da Silva and Boschiero, ‘Grupos de poder’, 548.
99 Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 324; Stoetzer Schneiders and Brandtner Essert, Heimatbuch (2), 217. Esteche, Mathias Leh, 367–375.
100 „Tabela 202 - População residente, por sexo e situação do domicílio”, https://sidra.ibge.gov.br/tabela/202#resultado (last accessed, 6 October 2022).
101 Stoetzer Schneiders and Brandtner Essert, Heimatbuch (2), 407.
102 ‘Relatório 17.08.1975’.
103 Furtado Hartung, O sangue e o espírito; de Freitas Vilas Boas Gomes, ‘Trajetória’, 181–94; Buti, ‘Nas margens’; Petry and Borges, ‘Invernada’; Buti, ‘A forma jurídica’.
104 Cooperativa Agrária Agroindustrial, ‘Informações’.
105 Donauschwaben in Paraná.
106 Donauschwaben in Paraná, XXII – XXIII.
107 Donauschwaben in Paraná, XIII.
108 Fata, ‘“Creatio ex nihilo”,’ 173. See also Frotscher, ‘A Lost Homeland’, 451–56.
109 Donauschwaben in Paraná, XXXVI.
110 Lichtenberger, ‘Fünfundzwanzig Jahre’.
111 Lichtenberger, Entre Rios.
112 See dossier „Museu – Interviews J. Lichtenberger (1984–1985” in the Archive of the Historical Museum in Entre Rios.
113 Leicht and Vetter, Donauschwaben. See also Frotscher and Stein, ‘Entre a Antiga e a Nova Pátria’, 383–85.
114 Senz, ‘Ansiedlungsfeierlichkeiten’; Weber, ‘As comemorações’.
115 Pettinger, O Sumiço.
116 Leh, ‘Die Siedlung’; Gappmaier, Entre Rios, 372–75; Stoetzer Schneiders and Brandtner Essert, Heimatbuch (2), 124–27.
117 See Cooperativa Agrária Agroindustrial, ‘Agrária Institucional 70 anos’, 17 January 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP9TaeM8yL4 (last accessed, 6 October 2022).
118 Fundação Cultural Suábio-Brasileira, ‘Seja nosso parceiro’.
119 Dekker and Rodrigues, ‘The Political Economy’.
120 Taylor and Lublin, ‘Settler Colonial Studies’.
121 See for example Kalb, ‘Reprinting the Past’.
122 Veracini, The Settler Colonial Present.
123 Borutta and Jansen, Vertriebene and Pieds-Noirs.
124 Gutiérrez Rodríguez, ‘Conceptualizing the Coloniality’, 194–200.