Brazilian Connection

Icelandic Settlement In Brazil Celebrated
10.10.2013
Reykjavík Grapevine

Words by Ingibjörg Rósa Björnsdóttir

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Between 1863 and 1873, a total of 39 Icelanders immigrated to Brazil and most of their descendants live in or around Curitiba, capital of state Paraná in southern Brazil.

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On October 13, 2013, the city of Curitiba in Brazil, became sister town of Akureyri in North Iceland to honour the city’s ties with Iceland. The sister town agreement was part of celebrations of the 150 year anniversary of Icelandic settlers arriving in Brazil. Dozens of descendants of Icelandic settlers were present and the ceremony was very emotional for them as their ancestors came mostly from the Þingeyjarsýslur counties in northern Iceland, RÚV reports.

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The president of the city council, Paulo Salamuni, said in his address that Curitiba wouldn’t be the city it is if it hadn’t been for the multiculturalism to which the Icelanders in the area had contributed.