A history of the first Polish settlements in Brazil
http://www.polonia.org/brazylia.htm
Anisio Oleksy
In 1844, in a small Silesian village called Siolkowice Stare, began the
story of a people who, whilst seeking freedom, found a new homeland. It
was in this period, when Poland was erased from the political map of
Europe and occupied, that Sebastian Wos, the son of Szymon and Jadwiga,
was born on the 19th of January. He saw that there were no real
perspectives in his own country and, when he was a little over twenty
years old, he immigrated to South America, under the name Edmund Sebastian
Wos Saporski. In some time, Mr. Saporski became very active in
popularising Polish emigration to Brazil. He came to be known as “the
Father of Polish Emigration”. Our history really began in 1871, when the
first emigrants arrived in Curitiba. Many of them were from Siolkowice
Stare and had been encouraged to come by Mr. Saporski. Their habits, as
well as their cultural and religious tradition bean to influence their new
homeland – Brazil – with values that, in time, became a part of Brazilian
culture. Schools, churches and associations had a significant role in
society. It was there that people went in their free time to remember old
times, sing, study, pray and popularise – with success – sports and
gymnastics. The Poles established the “Sokol” (“Falcon”)
Gymnastic Society on the 10th of June. It started a hundred year long
history of Polish associations in Brazil. Soon it united with two others –
the Society of St. Stanislaw and the Polish Youth Circle – to form the
Polish Union. Almost at the same time, young sportsmen established another
association – the Brazilian “Junak” (...) Society for Physical Education.
This society was a real starting point for sportsmen of very different
disciplines. In time, the Polish Union changed its name to Recreational
Society “Uniao” and “Junak” changed its name to “Juventus” Society for
Physical Education. Finally, in 1959, these two united to form one of the
biggest Polish institutions in Brazil – the “Uniao – Juventus” Society. In
the meantime, other associations became part of the history of Uniao
Juventus. Before 1959 it was the “Sarmacja” Polish Student Society, then
the “Batel” Workers Charitable Society, the “Golfinho” Swimming Club and,
recently, the Charitable and Cultural Society of Poles in Brazil. All
these institutions contributed to its work in the cultural and sports
areas. (...)
http://www.tchr.org/braz/index.html
Father Zdzislaw Malczewski - T. Ch. – head of province.
South American province of the Society of Christ, Fathers to Polish
Migrants (Towarzystwo Chrystusowe).
The Virmond colony lies in the Parana State, in a picturesque area, at the
main road from Curitiba to Foz do Iguacu, 90 kilometres away from
Guarapuava and 30 kilometres from Laranjeiras do Sul.
In 1920,
Kazimierz Gluchowski, the first Polish consul in Curitiba, bought a large
fragment of land (the "Amola faca" farm), which had belonged to Colonel
Ernesto Queiros. In order to colonise this land, he invited farmers who
had come from Poland and were living in different regions of Brazil. The
person responsible for the colonisation was the engineer, Dr Wladyslaw
Radecki. Poles searching for land came to Colonia Coronel Queiros (now:
Virmond) from: Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Mateus, Agua Branca in Parana.
Between 1925 and 1930, the Polish Colonisation Society had Polish
emigrants settle in the Virmond region.
(...)
When you drive along the road from Curitiba (the capital of the Brazilian
Parana State) in the direction of the famous Foz do Iguacu waterfalls, you
have to leave the main road in about half the way and drive another road
for over 40 kilometres, to reach the town of Quedas do Iguacu. This route
leads you through a picturesque region inhabited by Indians. There are
special signs by the road, asking for caution, for there might be Indians
walking on the road. The distance from Curitiba to Quedas do Iguacu – a
town in western Parana – is about 450 kilometres.
The QUEDAS DO
IGUACU town lies in the Iguacu river basin. Its original name was Jagoda –
the Poles wanted to honour the daughter of Marshal Jozef Pilsudski in this
way. In a later period, the town was named Campo Novo. The Quedas do
Iguacu region was colonised by people of Polish origin. The area of the
future Jagoda colony was bought by the Parana Colony and Trade Company, a
Polish settlement institution. The Company bought 63 thousand hectares of
land, lying between the rivers of Iguacu, Rio das Cobras, Rio Guarani.
Colonisation started in 1936.
(...)
Prepared by: Waldemar J Wajszczuk & Paweł Stefaniuk 2004
Translation: Kamila Wajszczuk
e-mail: drzewo.rodziny.wajszczuk@gmail.com |
18-06-2004
28-03-2004
