Nueva Germania: The failed 'Aryan project' in Paraguay
Key takeaways
- A new home for the "Aryan race." That was what German emigrants envisioned when they founded Nueva Germania in Paraguay in 1886.
- A fervent antisemite, he repeatedly faced trial in the German empire for racist incitement.
- He already had an idea of where such a place might exist.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
A new home for the "Aryan race." That was what German emigrants envisioned when they founded Nueva Germania in Paraguay in 1886. It failed back then but a version of the town still exists today.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CJm JThe colony around 1888: Life was hard for the German settlers Image: Klassik Stiftung Weimar Advertisement In the late 19th century, Berlin schoolteacher Bernhard Föster declared that German culture and virtues were under threat — and that the Jews were to blame. A fervent antisemite, he repeatedly faced trial in the German empire for racist incitement. He faced disciplinary proceedings at his school and was even placed on a wanted list. He no longer saw a future for himself in his homeland. Instead, he dreamed of a new "Jew-free" Germania that would flourish "rejuvenated and full of strength" under his leadership.
He already had an idea of where such a place might exist. "I will transplant German culture into 'new and promising soil'," he'd proclaimed — to Paraguay, where the Aguaray-mí and Aguaray-Guazu rivers meet.