From Empire to multiethnic city: Austrians in the South of Brazil

Abstract

This article focuses the circumstances which shaped the creation of a specific identity forimmigrants recognized as ‘Austrians’ in the South of Brazil. The main locus of this research is a small settlement in Rio Grande do Sul’s inland, as we collected data from the end of the nineteenth century to the end of the twentiethcentury, comprising the finalyears of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and locally witnessing late investment in ethnic memorialism. We highlight the agents who accomplish connections between distinct worlds and times, as well as the ways in which past representations are put into action.

Key words
Austrian immigration; Austro-Hungarian Empire; Multiethnic; Memory; Representations