German Chileans
| Deutsch-Chilenen · Germanochilenos | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| (est. 500,000 (3% of the Chilean population)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Valdivia, Valparaíso, Santiago de Chile, Temuco, Talca, Concepción, Viña del Mar, Osorno, Puerto Varas, Villarrica. | |
| Languages | |
| Chilean Spanish, German, Lagunen-deutsch | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (mostly Roman Catholic and Lutheran). | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Germans, German Americans, German-Argentinians, German-Brazilian, German Canadians, German Mexican, German-Paraguayan, German-Peruvians, German Uruguayans, German Venezuelans |
German Chileans (Spanish germanochilenos, German Deutsch-Chilenen) are Chilean citizens who derive their German ancestry from one or both parents. They are chiefly descendants of about 30,000 immigrants who arrived between 1846–1914, most following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. In the 1907 census, Germans were the fifth-largest immigrant group in Chile, after Bolivians, Peruvians, Spaniards and Italians.
From the middle of the 19th century to the present, they have played a significant role in the economic, political and cultural development of the Chilean nation. The 19th-century immigrants settled chiefly in Chile’s Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions in the so-called Zona Sur of Chile, including the Chilean lake district.
The first German to feature in the history of what is now Chile is Bartolomé Blumenthal (Spanish alias Bartolomé Flores) during the 16th century who accompanied Pedro de Valdivia. The latter conquistador ousted the indigenous population and founded the city of Santiago. Valdivia also arrested and took hostage the Cacique (tribal leaders and chiefs) to weaken the society of the local Mapuche people. Blumenthal took part in the defence of the Spanish settlement of Santiago when the Mapuche launched a counter-offensive on 11 September 1541 in attempt to free their caciques held hostage by the conquistadores.
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Wikipedia