Daily Facts
Geography
The Lorraine dialect is said to be the second most spoken language in Brazil
How did this regional European language manage to take root and thrive in a country thousands of kilometers from Lorraine?
The history of the Lorraine dialect in Brazil dates back to the 19th century. In 1824, two years after Brazil's declaration of independence, Empress Maria Leopoldina of Habsburg-Lorraine encouraged the immigration of peasants from Lorraine, Luxembourg, and Germany to populate and cultivate the forested areas of southern Brazil. Until World War II, some communities did not speak Portuguese, which contributed to the preservation of the Lorraine dialect.
Today, Platt (the name given to this regional language) is spoken by approximately three million people in Brazil, making it the only Germanic language in Latin America. In 2012, the province of Rio Grande do Sul recognized Platt as historical and cultural heritage, and it is listed with UNESCO.
Source: republicain-lorrain.fr
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