Pomerode is a relatively small city and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. More precisely, it is located in the valley of the Itajaí-Açu river, not very far from the city of Blumenau, one of the largest cities in the state and one of the most prosperous too.

Pomerode was founded by Pomeranian Germans in 1861 and is considered the "most typically German of all German towns of southern Brazil".

One very remarkable characteristic about Pomerode that often doesn't receive the attention that it deserves is the fact that Pomeranian is still being preserved by the majority of the local population.

In Pomerode, like in so many other localities throughout southern Brazil, the German language is not a 'foreign language ' but instead it truly is a Brazilian linguistic regionalism.

It should be noted that for a good part of the 1900s, the Brazilian government did not encourage people to speak the German language. As a matter of fact, at times it was actively repressed and prohibited, like during (dictator) Getúlio Vargas presidency. Today on the other hand the German language is part of the curriculum in local schools and strongly encouraged by the local governments throughout southern Brazil.

If Pomeranian is spoken by most Pomerodians , alongside with Portuguese, most German-Brazilians who speak German speak Riograndenser Hunsrückisch or Hunsrückisch.

Pomerode has a long history developing its manufacturing industry like other cities in the region. It is also located in a very rich agricultural valley . Additionally, in the last few decades the creation and development of the tourist industry became a priority. To accomplish that, great efforts are being made to reinforce and celebrate the pioneering roots of the local inhabitants.

Blumenau's tourist industry is very well developed attracting millions of visitors annually to its festivals such as Oktoberfest, the largest one in the world after the original festival in Munique. Naturally, this has generated a very positive impact on the tourist industry of much smaller Pomerode located nearby (about thirty kilometers or so).

External Links

Pomerode's Official Website (in English, German and Portuguese) [1]

Pomerode by Destination Guides (in English) [2]

Blumenau (in English and Portuguese) [3]