Pomerode

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Pomerode

Pomerode is a 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. The population of the municipality was 22,023 (2004). It has doubled since 1960 when it was 10,606.

Important Facts

Geographical location: latitude of 26º44' 26" South and longitude of 49º10' 37" West.
Average elevation: 58 meters above sea level in the city center
Total area of the municipality: 211 km²
Urban area: 70 km²
Rural area: 141 km²
Municipal limits: North: Jaraguá do Sul; South/East: Blumenau; West: Rio dos Cedros, Timbó and Indaial
Climate: Summer is from December to February, and Winter is from June to August. The region is often affected by cold fronts that cause heavy rain, and in the summer by tropical storms. The rainfall is approximately 1,500 mm a year.

[edit] The Local Language

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 some other localities throughout southern Brazil, the German language is not a foreign language but instead it´s a Brazilian linguistic regionalism. (see also Santa Maria de Jetiba, Espírito Santo)

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 Getúlio Vargas's 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 (i.e. Pommersch, not to be confused with Slavic Kashubian which is also called Pomeranian) is spoken by most town inhabitants of Pomerode (alongside with Portuguese), most German-Brazilians who are bilingual speak the Riograndenser Hunsrückisch or Hunsrückisch German dialect.

[edit] Tourism and the Economy

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 has become 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 Munich. Naturally, this has generated a very positive impact on the tourist industry of much smaller Pomerode located nearby (about thirty kilometers or so).

In addition to tourism the economy is dependent on industry, which includes knitted clothing, plastic articles, state of the art metal and mechanical industries, garments and cloth, and furniture.