Santa Cruz do Sul

Founding and early years The Santa Cruz Colony was established by provincial law on December 6, 1847, driven by the Rio Pardo Chamber’s desire to facilitate communication with the surrounding fields and promote regional commerce. The first settlers arrived in 1849 The lands occupied by the colony were granted by the imperial government through the 1848 immigration incentive law. The colonization aimed to revitalize the economy without merely replacing the former slave labor. In the following decades, urban improvements included the expansion of paved streets, access to electricity in 1906, telephony in 1907, and piped water in 1908. The railway station was established that same year by the provincial president, Borges de Medeiros. However, due to the decline of Brazil’s railway system, the line was discontinued in 1965. From 1917, with the establishment of The Brazilian Tobacco Corporation, financed by British American Tobacco, From 1918, medium and large companies dominated tobacco processing, beginning with the Companhia de Fumo Santa Cruz, a merger of six smaller firms. In 1919, the Anglo-Brazilian Souza Cruz arrived, followed by the German-Brazilian Tabacos Tatch in 1932, the Brazilian Companhia de Tabacos Sinimbu in 1948, and the French Meridional Tabacos in 1975. These companies expanded their influence, investing in seed enhancement technology, supporting rural producers, and setting production quotas and prices. By 1970, Santa Cruz boasted a robust industrial economy, with tobacco as its flagship. contributing to the municipality’s demographic growth. During this period, a rural exodus reduced the rural population from 62% in 1970 to 11% in 2010, Today, the city is expanding notably in its northern and northeastern regions, with the emergence of gated communities, particularly upscale ones, == Geography ==

Santa Cruz do Sul is located from Porto Alegre and from Santa Maria, in the central part of the state, within the Vale do Rio Pardo region. It borders Vera Cruz to the east, Rio Pardo to the south, Sinimbu to the northwest, Venâncio Aires to the northeast, and Passo do Sobrado to the east, serving as the region’s hub. the municipality belongs to the Intermediate Geographic Region of Santa Cruz do Sul-Lajeado and the Immediate Geographic Region of Santa Cruz do Sul. Previously, under the division into microregions and mesoregions, it was part of the Santa Cruz do Sul microregion, within the Centro Oriental Rio-Grandense mesoregion. The municipality lies in a physiographic transition zone between the Brazilian Highlands and the Central Depression, along the banks of the Pardinho River. It encompasses the Atlantic Forest and Pampas biomes, with a landscape of valleys, hills, and undulations. A 2014 decree tightened environmental licensing for activities in the area, though real estate development has reduced its size despite existing regulations. In the city center, particularly along Marechal Floriano Peixoto Street, the "túnel verde" (green tunnel) features a canopy of tipuana trees. These trees, some over 70 years old, are of different ages. Several of them have problems, and since 2019, some have been cut down or replaced. Climate Santa Cruz do Sul has a temperate climate (classified as Cfa under the Köppen climate classification), with an average annual temperature of . and September 4, 2006. == Demography ==

of Santa Cruz do Sul in 2010 and 2022. According to the 2022 Brazilian Census, Santa Cruz do Sul had a population of , making it the 14th most populous municipality in Rio Grande do Sul. An IBGE estimate for 2025 reported a population of 138,270, a 3.78% increase. The municipality’s HDI in 2010 was 0.733, Life expectancy at birth was 76.1 years—up from 69 in 1991—and the infant mortality rate was 11.8 per thousand, down from 21.5 in 1991. Religion In 2010, 75.14% of the population was Catholic, 20% were Evangelical—60% of whom belonged to missionary denominations, with 95% being Lutheran—2% were Spiritists, 1.5% had no religion, and the remaining 1.36% followed other faiths. The first chapel in the city was established in 1855 by the local government. the city is home to numerous other churches and temples, including the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession. Founded in 1924, it is the largest evangelical temple in Rio Grande do Sul, with a capacity to accommodate up to 500 worshippers. The Loyola Retreat House, a venue for religious gatherings with accommodations for one hundred people, is considered a tourist attraction, featuring an area of near a grotto. In 1997, the Monastery of the Holy Trinity was founded, with its construction completed in 2000. Housing Christian nuns from the city, it also includes a library, a dining hall where fairs are held, gardens, a chapel, and other facilities. It was also the residence of the singer Belchior. The city also hosts the second chapel of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement in Rio Grande do Sul, the first being located in Santa Maria, as well as the Church of the Holy Martyrs of the Missions, established in 1945, from where the Santa Cruz pilgrimage departs, an event held annually since 2001. == Politics and administration ==

The legislative branch is exercised by the city council, while the executive branch is managed by the mayor's office, supported by various secretariats. In 2019, the city had 16 secretariats and 18 municipal councils. The city council was established on September 28, 1878, at the corner of what are now Marechal Floriano and 28 de Setembro streets. During the 2021–2024 term, the city council was composed of seventeen councilors. A proposal to increase the number to nineteen was made in 2015 but was unsuccessful. In the 2020 municipal elections, Helena Hermany (PP) was elected with 32.45% of the valid votes. In the 2016 municipal elections, her party colleague Telmo Kirst was re-elected, receiving 52.25% of the valid votes, while the runner-up, Sérgio Moraes (PTB), received 38.73%. Moraes had previously served as mayor twice, and his wife, Kelly Moraes, once. Kirst died on December 20, 2020, due to cancer. Hermany had resigned as deputy mayor, and the council elected Francisco Carlos Smidt (PSDB) as mayor, a position he held for only ten days until Hermany took office. Regarding the Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF), the municipal administration has consistently achieved results within the defined limits. According to the FIRJAN Fiscal Management Index (IFGF), the city's management is above the national average, having previously been classified as "in difficulty or critical". According to the Municipal Governance Index of the Federal Administration Council (IGM/CFA), which evaluates finances, management, and performance, the city received scores of 3.96, 6.19, and 5.54 in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. The 2023 score places the municipality at 127th out of 162 federally among cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, and tenth in the state within this group. A positive component of the score was finances, while a negative one was public safety. The municipal government's debt in 2019 was 76.9 million reais, including court-ordered debt payments. Of this, 43.9 million came from loans, 17.1 million from a debt related to public lighting, 9.3 million from liabilities with the National Social Security Institute (INSS), 5.4 million from outstanding payments, and 1.1 million from judicial convictions. The largest creditors were Caixa Econômica Federal, with 34.2 million, RGE, with 17.1 million, the federal government with 9.3 million, the Regional Development Bank of the Far South with 6.4 million, and Banco do Brasil with 3.1 million. Most of the debt was incurred during the municipal administrations of 2005–2008 under José Alberto Wenzel (PSDB) (8.5 million), 2009–2012 under Kelly Moraes (PTB) (23.1 million), and 2013–2020 under Telmo Kirst (PP) (12.1 million), with the public lighting debt dating back to the 1998–2006 administration of Sérgio Moraes (PDT). == Subdivisions ==

The municipality is divided into nine districts, while the urban area was divided into 36 neighborhoods in 2010. The districts are Sede Municipal, Boa Vista, Monte Alverne, São Martinho, Saraiva, São José da Reserva, Rio Pardinho, Alto Paredão, and Área Anexada. == Economy ==

, BAT, Philip Morris, and JTI, in the Industrial District of Santa Cruz do Sul. The latter three are among the five largest tobacco companies in the world, while Philip Morris accounted for more than half of the municipality's revenue. The main tobacco industries in Brazil are present in Santa Cruz do Sul. Among those established in the city are Souza Cruz, the market share leader in the country, and Philip Morris, which in 2015 accounted for 54% of the municipality's Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS) revenue, among others. In 2013 and 2023, the municipality exported approximately 1.5 billion dollars in goods, with tobacco-related products being the top thirteen items. The presence of these companies is supported by rural producers in Santa Cruz do Sul and neighboring cities such as Venâncio Aires, Vera Cruz, and Rio Pardo, for whom tobacco cultivation for processing is the primary source of income. Approximately 6,600 hectares of the municipality's area are dedicated to tobacco, yielding an annual production of 14,700 tons in the 2012/2013 harvest. Four thousand families in Santa Cruz are engaged in this activity. The tobacco industry has a strong presence in the region's socioeconomic life, providing technical, financial, and social program support to tobacco farmers. This creates a system of exchanges and loyalties between most farmers and the industry, particularly through the Association of Brazilian Tobacco Farmers. In addition to tobacco, notable crops include maize, rice, cassava, soybean, bean, olive oil, horticulture, floriculture, sugarcane, sweet potato, potato, and grape. Livestock farming is also present. In total, there are 4,365 rural properties with an average area of . Finally, other local enterprises that stood out in the past include Cia. de Fumos Santa Cruz, Máquinas Binz, and Máquinas Schreiner. and in 2018, it was 10.5 billion reais, with a per capita of 79,900 reais, The average income of the municipality's residents increased from 554.13 reais in 1991 to 1,036.87 reais in 2010, Extreme poverty decreased from 3.76% to 0.96% between 1991 and 2010. The main occupations of workers are in manufacturing, commerce, agriculture and livestock, construction, public service, transportation, education, private services, and other liberal professions and service providers. Tourism of the megafauna excavated over ten thousand years ago. and the largest in Rio Grande do Sul. Promoted locally as the "festival of joy," its 2016 edition attracted approximately 150,000 paying visitors. The city also hosts the Art and Tradition Encounter, an event celebrating Gaucho traditions, typically held in November, and is one of the largest of its kind in Latin America. The 2016 edition featured six thousand participating artists. It is also home to the Santa Cruz do Sul International Racetrack, which was inaugurated on June 12, 2005, with a Renault Speed Show event. The venue has hosted stages of Stock Car Brasil, Fórmula Truck, among other competitions. Other tourist attractions include the Grotto Park, also known as Adventure Park, a area with native forest, trails, a restaurant, and climbing equipment. The name derives from a paleoburrow located in the park, excavated by megafauna over ten thousand years ago, though mistakenly attributed to indigenous work (hence the colloquial name Indian Grotto). There is also the Cross Park, located on the site of a former quarry, an area restored by environmentalist José Lutzenberger, where a 20-meter-high cross was installed. Additionally, there is Telmo Kirst Lake, an artificial lake of 228.43 hectares built to supply water during droughts, featuring bike paths and rest areas along its shores, with plans to transform it into a tourism complex, previously named Lago Dourado. Away from the city center, there is an environmental park designed by Lutzenberger and maintained by Souza Cruz—covering and established in 2003, new species of fungi and insects have been cataloged there, In Linha Santa Cruz, there is the São Batista Seminary, established in 1968, where community events, mostly religious, are held, with open spaces for public visits. The rest of the structure houses the Santa Cruz Agricultural Family School and the seminary itself. == Infrastructure ==

The city has 40,540 registered households, of which 91.37% have water supply, 90.87% have basic sanitation, 99.76% have electricity, and 98.28% have garbage collection. Water supply and sewage treatment are managed by Companhia Riograndense de Saneamento (CORSAN), while electricity is provided by RGE Sul (formerly AES Sul). The city has public housing projects in nine neighborhoods, receiving funds from the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). Garbage collection is handled by CONESUL, The city ranks seventh in the country for the number of photovoltaic plants installed by local companies, earning it the title of the "solar energy capital" of the state. Healthcare The city has three hospitals. The Ana Nery Hospital, founded in 1955 by the region's evangelical community, is private and philanthropic, serving as a reference for oncology in the region. In 2020, it had 71 beds, 15 of which were in the ICU, with a staff of 260 doctors, 48 nurses, and 179 nursing technicians. The Santa Cruz Hospital, founded in 1908, also philanthropic, is the main healthcare center in the Rio Pardo Valley. Managed by APESC, which also administers UNISC, in 2020, it had 232 beds, 35 of which were in the ICU, with 247 doctors, 77 nurses, and 366 nursing technicians. which in 2020 had 35 beds, none in the ICU, with 2 doctors, 4 nurses, and 13 technicians. Additionally, 300 students are served in special education across all levels. Colégio Marista São Luís, founded in 1874 and Colégio Educar-se, founded in 1984 by the institution that now manages UNISC. The other institutions are state-run, with only one located in a rural area. and Ernesto Alves State School. Vocational high school courses are also offered at UNISC, with 211 students enrolled in 2014, at SENAI, with 183 students in 2013, at the Santa Cruz Agricultural Family School, with 200 students in 2013, at Ideal School, with nine students in 2013, and at Colégio Marista, with 48 students in 2013. with 2,500 students enrolled in three undergraduate programs, a branch of the Rio Grande do Sul State University (UERGS), with 36 students enrolled in two undergraduate programs, and a center of the Ritter dos Reis University Center (UniRitter), with 361 students enrolled in undergraduate programs in 2013. Viação União Santa Cruz is responsible for intermunicipal public transportation. In private transportation, in addition to taxis, ride-hailing services have been operating in the city since the mid-2010s. The city also has seven bike lanes or cycleways, totaling in length. In 2014, the city's vehicle fleet totaled 85,076, with most of them being cars. whose runway was established in 1940, Security The city's first prison was located in its central neighborhood—opened in 1910, it had wooden floors and ceilings and windows facing the sidewalk. To move inmates away from the center and enhance security, the municipality donated land to the state government in what is now the Faxinal Menino Deus neighborhood, then sparsely populated, for the construction of a new jail. Opened in 1977 with the transfer of prisoners from the center, the Santa Cruz Regional Prison has iron cells and masonry infrastructure, with an official capacity of 168 inmates in 2017, but housing 261. In 2017, it recorded the state's largest prison break, with 26 inmates escaping. The city is the headquarters of the Regional Command for Ostensive Policing in the Rio Pardo Valley, hosting the 23rd Military Police Battalion. It also houses a Federal Police station, an Integrated Public Safety and Citizenship Center, which brings together police stations and other public safety agencies, and the 6th Fire Department Battalion, with 252 members serving 61 municipalities in the region. In 2017, the city recorded 18 homicides, 1,020 thefts, 254 robberies, 24 vehicle robberies, and 510 other crimes, representing about half the incidents compared to the previous year. Among the 30 cities with over 65,000 inhabitants in the state, Santa Cruz has the 26th highest overall crime rate, trailing only Santa Rosa, Cachoeira do Sul, Uruguaiana, and Bagé. Nevertheless, the number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants is considered "epidemic" by the World Health Organization's classification. Communications The newspaper with the largest circulation in the city is Gazeta do Sul, which began circulation in 1941 under the name Kolonie, originally written in German. In radio, stations include Gazeta FM and Gazeta AM, as well as Atlântida FM, Arauto FM, among others. Regional television channels include Santa Cruz TV (community channel), Unisc TV (university channel), founded in 1996, and RBS TV Santa Cruz (part of RBS Group), founded in 1988. == Housing and social projects ==

One of the main public housing initiatives in the city is the Viver Bem Residential Complex, a development constructed with funds from the Growth Acceleration Program under the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program, accommodating approximately 5,000 residents. Despite initial optimism, residents have expressed frustrations over delays in the delivery of completed homes, frequent flooding, and irregular occupations. Other public housing projects include the Mãe de Deus, Santa Maria, and Beckencamp developments. Among the community initiatives with a significant presence in the city are the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE), the Lions Club, and the Women's Association Against Cancer. == Culture ==

The main languages spoken in the city are Portuguese, the official language of Brazil and used by the majority of the population, and German, including dialects such as Hunsrückisch, which was predominant among the colony's earliest settlers. Other cultural venues include the Auditorium of the Municipal Secretariat of Education and Culture and the Camarin Space Theater in the Mauá School auditorium. Private cultural establishments include the Mauá School Theater, with 711 seats, the auditoriums of Dom Alberto and São Luís schools, and those at UNISC. The Oktoberfest Park pavilions host various events, and the Santa Cruz Park features an amphitheater with 800 seats. The UNISC library, established in 1964 and one of the most significant in the state's interior, held 260,000 books in 2017, along with periodicals, regional newspaper archives, multimedia collections, and materials in Braille. The Educar-se Library, located at the private school of the same name maintained by APESC, has a collection of 13,700 volumes. The city is the home of the UNISC Chamber Orchestra, founded in 2005 initially as a school orchestra. Since then, the group has performed in the city and throughout the state. Since 2018, the city has annually hosted the Santa Cruz Film Festival, an event that showcases and awards contemporary regional and national film productions. The festival is organized by Sesc/RS – Santa Cruz do Sul Unit, UNISC – Communication Studies Programs, and Pé de Coelho Filmes. Aimed at fostering film production and exhibition in the city, the festival brings Brazilian short films to Santa Cruz do Sul, aspiring to serve as a platform for the dissemination, premiere, and promotion of works from across the country. In addition to screenings, the festival offers workshops on audiovisual production, discussions, and tributes. == Sports ==

and American teams during the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers in 2023 The Mayor Arno João Frantz Sports Complex, officially nicknamed Arnão in 2021 after being informally known as such, is one of the city's main sports complexes. Located in the Oktoberfest Park, it was inaugurated in 1992 by then-mayor Arno Frantz, after whom it is named. Another sports complex is located at UNISC. The city also hosts a tennis club and a golf course. Two professional football clubs are based in the city: Esporte Clube Avenida and Futebol Clube Santa Cruz. Both have stadiums in the city, namely the Estádio dos Eucaliptos, built in 1950 with a capacity of 3,000 spectators, and the Estádio dos Plátanos. The first professional basketball club established in Santa Cruz was Sociedade Ginástica, founded in 1931. Currently, the Basquetebol do Esporte Clube União Corinthians, established in 1939, is the city's leading professional basketball club, with both men's and women's teams. Notable athletes from the city include gymnast Natália Scherer, who represented Brazil in the rhythmic gymnastics finals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, golfer Adilson da Silva, who competed for Brazil at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and other local residents and natives, such as Fabiano Peçanha. == Leisure ==

Events celebrating both German and Gaucho cultures are traditionally held, with the most prominent being the Santa Cruz do Sul Oktoberfest and the Art and Tradition Encounter, respectively, along with their associated events. Other events include the Cuca Festival, centered on the German dish, which in its 23rd edition in 2023 drew 80,000 attendees, as well as events featuring beer producers from Rio Grande do Sul. Additionally, Carnival has been celebrated in the city since 1896, featuring balls, street parties, and samba school parades. Today, the main samba schools include Acadêmicos do União, founded in 1973 by members of the Sociedade Cultural e Beneficente (SCB) club, known as Uniãozinho, established in 1923 as a space for the city's Black community, as well as Imperadores do Ritmo, Imperatriz do Sol, Império da Zona Norte, and Unidos de Santa Cruz. Other notable street carnival groups from the early 20th century include Bam-Bam-Bam, Filhos do Inferno, and Turunas. The city features several public squares, including Getúlio Vargas Square, established in 1855, which serves as the main gathering point for residents and hosts various events. In addition to robust tourism infrastructure, the city offers a vibrant culinary and nightlife scene. Among the notable establishments is the flagship location of the Heilige brewery, an award-winning brand. ==Notable people==

• Edmar Hermany, mayor of Santa Cruz • Ana Hickmann, Brazilian model • Lucas Kohl, Brazilian racing driver • Irton Marx, journalist and politician • Henrique Mecking, Brazilian chess Grandmaster == See also ==