The German-Prussian agrarian colonization in Southern Brazil: Urwald and socioecological changes in the Atlantic Rainforest (19th Century)

Abstract

This article examines the German-Prussian agrarian colonization
in 19th-century southern Brazil, focusing on the socio-ecological transformations in the Atlantic Forest (“Urwald ”). German colonists, especially in regions such as Rio Grande do Sul, encountered vast subtropical forests that had been managed by indigenous and traditional communities, which led to a significant translation of agrarian and forest cultures. The
settlers’ practices, notably the controlled use of fire (“Roçawirtschaft”), were informed by European and indigenous knowledge systems, remodeling local ecologies and leading to the development of agriculture. This study looks at how German settlers navigated the landscape, converting forestland into agricultural zones, and considers the wider implications of this transformation on biodiversity, resource use and socio-environmental dynamics. It also explores the ideological backdrop of German nationalism and the discourse
on wilderness that influenced perceptions of the Atlantic Forest, juxtaposing it with German forest landscapes. By analyzing settlers’ narratives, this study contributes to the understanding of ecological change in the context of agrarian colonization and highlights the complexities surrounding agricultural adaptation, technological transfer and the commodification of landscapes
in the German colonies in southern Brazil.