Imigração alemã no Rio Grande do Sul e cidadania: naturalização e participação política, 1824-1889

Abstract

This thesis addresses the political participation of German-Brazilians established in Rio Grande do Sul between 1824 (with the arrival of the first German immigrants in that province) and 1889 (with the end of the Brazilian imperial period), involving issues such as naturalization and political representation. Within the process of building citizenship, in the nineteenth century, political rights were seen as a concession that required meeting criteria for their exercise. In relation to foreigners, naturalization was the first step towards accessing these rights. Obtaining Brazilian citizenship was marked by the perception that certain foreigners were considered de-sirable, as was the case with German immigrants. In this sense, decrees and laws expanded and facilitated naturalization for this group during the Brazilian Empire. Before 1881, naturalized foreigners could not occupy the most significant electoral positions (deputies and senators), a restriction that did not apply to other German-Brazilians, but they could participate in local politics. Thus, they participated politically as voters, members of the qualification boards and polling stations, and in elected positions such as councilors and local judges. This political par-ticipation went through a process of expansion as elements that made it difficult were overcome, in two distinct phases: the first between 1824 and 1850, when there was little electoral political participation and the second, between 1851 and 1889, in that there was a steady increase in the German presence. The decade of 1880 was characterized as the moment of greatest expression of the German presence in the political scenario of the Province of São Pedro do Rio Grande do Sul, since after the enactment of the Lei Saraiva (1881), which allowed the eligibility of non-Catholics and foreigners naturalized as deputies and senators, five naturalized Brazilian Ger-mans (Haensel, Bartholomay, Koseritz, Brüggen and Kahlden) were elected as provincial de-puties. This group represented the regions of German and Italian colonization and acted in de-fense of their interests, as well as being inserted in the political-partisan disputes in that context. This thesis deals with current issues and brought important contributions to the studies of Bra-zilian elections in the nineteenth century This research was developed in the Graduate Pro-grame/Phd in History of the University of Santa Maria/UFSM and received a Social Demand scholarship and a Sandwich Doctorate Abroad scholarship, both granted by CAPES.