The city was founded September 2, 1850, by Hermann Blumenau and seventeen other
German immigrants. Later arrivals included
Fritz Müller, biologist and early proponent of
Darwinian Evolution. The history of Blumenau is the result of the arrival of German immigrants who settled these fertile areas of the
Atlantic Forest. In 1845, having an interest in the problems faced by European immigrants, Hermann Blumenau reached an agreement with the
Society for the Protection of German Emigrants to represent it and traveled to Brazil, aiming to create new German settlements and to check the situation of those that already existed. He traveled to
Rio Grande do Sul, and then to
Santa Catarina, where he visited the German colony of
São Pedro de Alcântara. Aware of comments about the
Itajaí Valley, he explored it in detail, in association with his compatriot
Ferdinand Hackradt, since the aforementioned society was dissolved. After taking certain precautions, Hermann Blumenau headed for Germany, to seek immigrants. On September 2, 1850, Hermann Blumenau returned to the chosen area with the 17 initial immigrants. Despite the floods, clashes with wild animals and even with the
indigenous peoples, due to the work of German immigrants willing to migrate continuously in greater numbers, the settlement prospered. Those first immigrants had a great support from the Brazilian government, who gave them land, housing, livestock, seeds, education and healthcare for very low prices, and in many cases, entirely free. On February 4, 1880, the
municipality of Blumenau was created, composed of about 13,000 residents. == Demographics ==