German Nicaraguan is a Nicaraguan having German ancestry, or a German-born naturalized citizen of Nicaragua. This includes Poles due to the Partitions of Poland and Sudeten Germans from present

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, after Nicaragua's allies declared war on Germany, German immigrants not naturalized were persecuted and imprisoned. Some were deported to Germany or to concentration camps in other countries. Although Germans have emigrated to Nicaragua since the 19th century, most of the German Nicaraguans still speak both Spanish and German.

History

Early of the emigration

The first German who settled in Nicaragua was the merchant of Leon in 1810, known simply as "Don Alemán" (Don German), known as Orlando W. Roberts, (although his real German name was not mentioned).Alemanes en Nicaragua "Germans in Nicaragua", posted by por Güetz Von Houwald, retrieved 31 August 2012
/ref> In 1852, a group of German immigrants, primarily single men, began to settle in northern

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

with the purpose of cultivating 200 blocks of land per person, which were granted by the Government. They were required to cultivate the land and have an initial capital equivalent to about $2,500 per person. Over time, these settlers built farms, established towns and increased the wealth of Nicaragua. North Nicaragua became the epicenter of this economic prosperity. The next settlement upstream, Castillo Viejo (Old Castle), likely had a number of German settlers by the year 1852. The Germans continued to arrive on ships at Granada and rode down to areas where they would soon establish settlements. Other immigrants came to Leon and began their journey to

Matagalpa Matagalpa () is a city in Nicaragua which is the capital of the department of Matagalpa. The city has a population of 111,258 (2021 estimate), Many of the Germans, who then moved to Costa Rica in 1853, had come to Nicaragua with the emigrant ship ''Antoinette''.

During World War II

At the beginning of World War II in 1939, Nicaragua's allies -

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

- declared war on Germany. The Government of Nicaragua prompted a wave of persecution against the Germans in Nicaragua. During this period, fifty young men of German descent were attacked in La vaterland. They were those who had been encouraged to farm coffee plantations by the 'Thirty Years' Conservative governments (1857-1892) and then by the Liberal government of

José Santos Zelaya José Santos Zelaya López (1 November 1853 in Managua – 17 May 1919 in New York City) was the President of Nicaragua from 25 July 1893 to 21 December 1909. Early life He was a son of José María Zelaya Irigoyen, who was originally from ...

(1893-1909). To promote the cultivation of coffee he donated of land in the wilderness areas of

Matagalpa Matagalpa () is a city in Nicaragua which is the capital of the department of Matagalpa. The city has a population of 111,258 (2021 estimate),Jinotega Jinotega () (derived from Náhuatl: ''Xiotenko'' ‘place next to the jiñocuajo trees’) is the capital city of the Department of Jinotega in north-central Nicaragua. The city is located in a long valley surrounded by the cool climate and D ...

. These Germans were the ones who started the promotion, production, processing, transportation and marketing of coffee in northern Nicaragua. The president of Nicaragua,

Anastasio Somoza Garcia Anastasio is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name * Anastasio Alfaro (1865–1951), Costa Rican zoologist, geologist and explorer * Anastasio Aquino (1792–1833), Salvadoran indigenou ...

declared war against Germany in 1941, and the Germans in Nicaragua were victims of this European war. Somoza began "hunting" Germans to imprison them. The older people were arrested and the younger were taken to the Quinta Eitzen, a property which Somoza had seized from the German Ulrich Eitzen. Once imprisoned they were not given food. Only Germans who were naturalized Nicaraguans were not imprisoned or were released from the jail. However, some Germans were deported to Germany. Some German groups from Nicaragua were in refugee camps in other countries but once the war and the German persecution started, some returned to Nicaragua.La Prensa, el Diario de Los nicaraguences. Enfoque Alemanes en Nicaragua: Entre el dolor y el olvido, posted 26 July 2000, retrieved 31 August 2012
Some groups of German (and other ethnic groups) were deported to concentration camps in the United States from Nicaragua. Those who refused to be deported were confined on

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

, a small island in New York, used as a quarantine site for immigrants.Nicaragua actual, retrieved August 31, 2012
/ref>

Demography

The descendants of those Germans today live in the mountains, in

fincas In English usage, a ''finca'' (; ) refers to a piece of rural or agricultural land, typically with a cottage, farmhouse or estate building present, and often adjacent to a woodland or plantation. Overview Especially in tourism, the term has re ...

, as did their ancestors. Most of them can still speak both Spanish and German. Many German Nicaraguans speak additional languages including English and French. They maintain the use of elements of German culture such as the use of fireplaces in their homes, which are unusual in

Hispanic America The region known as Hispanic America (in Spanish called ''Hispanoamérica'' or ''América Hispana'') and historically as Spanish America (''América Española'') is the portion of the Americas comprising the Spanish-speaking countries of North, ...

. The German Nicaraguans have their own school in

Managua ) , settlement_type = Capital city , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Nicar ...

.Home
. German Nicaraguan School. Retrieved on March 23, 2015. "Carretera Sur, Km 10 ½. P.O.Box 16-36. Managua, Nicaragua"

German Festivals in Nicaragua

The German Culture Festival in Nicaragua is celebrated between 4 and 15 June. As part of this festival, there are events celebrating gastronomy, cinema, philosophy and musical heritage. All the events are free to attend, except for the Grand Concert "Germany in the heart of Nicaragua", held at the córdobas Ruben Dario National Theater.El Nuevo Diario: Primer Festival de la Cultura Alemana en Nicaragua
(in Spanish: The New daily: First festival of the German culture in Nicaragua).

References

External links

*
Interview to Hans Paterman, German Ambassador of Nicaragua
{{German diaspora Ethnic groups in Nicaragua European Nicaraguan

German diaspora in North America