Swiss Chileans

Swiss Chileans are Chilean citizens of Swiss ancestry. There are currently 15,000 Swiss citizens residing in Chile, with approximately 90,000 descendants of the 19th century immigrants.[5]

Swiss Chileans
helvético-chileno/suizo-chileno
Schweizerchilenen
Svizzero-cileno
Suisse-chilien
Svizzer-chileno
Total population
+90,000[1] and 100,000[2][3][4]
0.6% population of Chile
Regions with significant populations
Punta Arenas, Valparaíso, Temuco, Santiago de Chile
Languages
Chilean Spanish, German, French, Italian, Romansh
Religion
Christianity (Protestantism and Roman Catholic), Jewish minorities
Related ethnic groups
Swiss people, Swiss diaspora, German Chileans, Italian Chileans, and French Chileans

Immigration to Chile
See also: Immigration

Due to confusion with that of German, Italian, and French immigrants, the actual number of Swiss Chileans varies from one source to another. In 1881, 28 years after colonization by Germans in southern Chile, special agencies were authorized to recruit Swiss emigrants. These arrived in three key periods:

Years Number of immigrants Areas settled
1876 to 1877 119 families

(from Fribourg canton)

Magallenes region
1883 to 1900 36,621

(primarily from Valais canton)

 Southern region

(Victoria and Traiguén in Araucanía)

1915 to 1950 30,000 Central region

(Santiago and Valparaiso)

Between April 1876 and May 1877, a contingent received government land grants consisting of hectares of forest, woodland, and scrub land in the Magallanes Region (Agua Fresca, next to Punta Arenas). These farmers proceeded to transform the region into agricultural lands suitable for pasture and crop farming.

Swiss Benevolent Society in Victoria, Araucanía Region.


In 1880, Don Francisco De B. Echeverría was appointed to lead the Agency for Colonization and Immigration.[6] Agent General Benjamin Davila Larrain was entrusted with the recruitment of settlers.

Following the end of resistance to occupation by indigenous Mapuche in the 1880s, large areas of land were advertised to European settlers, many of whom were experiencing economic hardship. The Chilean government invited Swiss emigrants on the condition they settle in Araucanía, to cultivate it and create arable land for crops and livestock.[5] [7]The first contingent departed in November 1883; their success would direct future emigration authorizations. Land grants were awarded to an estimated 8,000+ families .[8]

The preparation of the convoys meant the operation of a real network. Shipping companies, especially the English "Company of the Pacific", ensured the French port of Bordeaux as a regular line which had the steamships Valparaíso Cotopaxi, Potosi, Sorata, The Valparaíso, Aconcagua and Britain, among others, as the main boats that sailed Swiss settlers.[9]

Mass immigration

The first large group of immigrants composed of 1,311 families landed in Valparaíso on 19 December 1883. Between 1883 and 1886 they were shipped to the territory of Araucanía; 12,602 Swiss, representing 7% of emigration Switzerland overseas. The operations continued to evolve until 1890, when 22,708 Swiss were spread over the 31 colonies in the heart of the Araucania; 72.7% of emigrants settled in the 7 most important colonies of the time: Victoria, Traiguén, Faja Maisan, Temuco, Quino, Galvarino, Ercilla, and Pitrufquen.[5]

The last recorded mass exodus of Swiss to Chile, during 1915 to 1950, recorded 30,000 residents installed in the central region, primarily in Santiago and Valparaíso.[10]

Notable Chileans of Swiss descent

See also

References
  1. J. Códoba-Toro (2018): Suizos en Chile. Iberoamérica Social. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. Relaciones diplomáticas de Suiza con América Latina, Embajada Suiza en Perú. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. (in Spanish)La inmigración suiza a Chile se desarrolló entre los años 1883 y 1900 y sus protagonistas se situaron particularmente en las emergentes ciudades sureñas de Victoria y Traiguén, estimándose en 8.000 familias las que recibieron concesiones de tierras en dicha zona donde constituyeron 31 colonias que alcanzaron inicialmente a sumar 22 700 personas y cuya descendencia actual supera los 100.000 ciudadanos, la mayor de América Latina". Archived 2014-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Cassis en Uruguay, Chile y Brasil, Swiss Federal Council (Le Conseil Fédéral, Portail du Gouvernement Suisse), 18 April 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  5. "Suizos en Chile - Inmigración iberoamericana nº12" (in Spanish). 22 April 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  6. "Francisco de Borja Echeverría Valdés". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  7. "Bilateral relations Switzerland-Chile". www.eda.admin.ch. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  8. (in Spanish) Los suizos del fin del mundo.
  9. Swiss colonization in southern Chile. Ancientfaces.com (21 July 2006). Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  10. (in Spanish) Suizos en Chile. Archived 25 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
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