The crimes of Wursten & Company: German-speaking slaveholding entrepreneurs in Brazil (1808-1888)

Abstract

The article discusses the large slave businesses of German-speaking immigrants in 19th century Brazil, particularly the case of the Swiss-German Rodolpho Wursten. First established in Rio de Janeiro as a merchant, then as plantation owner in Paraty, and, finally, as a major coffee exporter in Santos, his life trajectory sheds light onto relevant aspects of the relationship between Brazilian slavery, the Hanseatic ports and Switzerland. Cases of German-speaking individuals involved in big business in the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia are also presented and discussed, seeking to highlight the regularities and connections that existed between German-speaking immigration and slave entrepreneurship in imperial Brazil.