German Paraguayans

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German Paraguayans

There are about 450,000 people in Paraguay who have German roots. They live in Asunción, the Itapúa Department, and the Boquerón Department, among other places.

Languages spoken include Paraguayan Spanish, Guaraní, German, Hunsrik, and Plautdietsch. Most German Paraguayans follow Christianity (mainly Roman Catholic or Protestant), and there are some Jewish people as well.

History and communities
German immigration began in the industrial era. In 1888, the Nueva Germania colony was founded in Paraguay. It is often called a failure, but the town still exists, even though many founders left in the 1890s. After World War II, Paraguay became a place where some German leaders fled.

Today, large German-descended communities are in Colonia Independencia (Guairá), in Filadelfia (Boquerón), and in southern cities such as Encarnación, Obligado, Bella Vista, Fram, Pilar, San Ignacio, Coronel Bogado, and Hohenau. Some newer immigrants from other countries also have German ancestry.

Notable people
Alfredo Stroessner, a former president of Paraguay, was of German descent.

Mennonites and other German-speaking groups
About 25,000 German-speaking Mennonites live in the Paraguayan Chaco. There are also Plautdietsch-speaking Russian Mennonites (people with Dutch and Prussian roots who moved from Russia). They are different from the Volga Germans. The Russian Mennonites settled in the Boquerón Department, after leaving Russia to escape oppression. Some Russian Mennonites later moved to Argentina.

Settlement challenges
The government encouraged settlement in the Chaco, but the climate could be difficult for new arrivals. Some families eventually moved to nearby Argentina.