[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Volhynians in South Brazil

[Mauricio Norenberg]

Forwarding the message from Michael Miller:

Visiting Santo Angelo and Santa Rosa, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Today Bob Dambach, director of television, Prairie Public
Broadcasting, and I had a long drive with Mauricio Norenberg,
traveling 6 hours from Mondai in the State of Santa Catarina, to Santo
Angelo. Upon arrival, we met Helmut Rosenthal where we stay overnight
guests in an apartment across from the university.  Helmut has been to
Lethridge, Alberta to visit his relatives and also attended in the
past a World Lutheran Conference of the Missouri Synod in St. Paul,
Minnesota.



Mauricio is kindly helping us as Portuguese/English translator. He
works in New Zealand and is at home visiting his mother and family
near Porto Alegre.



Both Helmut Rosenthal and Mauricio Norenberg are of Volhynian German
ancestry. They have done much research, know their family history, and
have relatives in Alberta, Canada.



In later afternoon, we traveled from Santo Angelo to Santa Rosa where
we have a most informative meeting  at the City Offices with the
Volhynian German community with  about 20 persons. They  are most
interested to preserve their heritage as Volhynian Germans. They asked
many questions abou the South American documentary project, how they
can help, and wanting to learn more about the Germans from Russia in
Canada and USA.  I was pleased to meet Roberto Racho, who spoke
excellent English, and works as a sales representative for Pioneer
Seed in Santa Maria. Roberto kindly agreed to assist with the
documentary project as a translator when we return to this area of
southern Brasil in 2013 to film about the Volhynian Germans.   He
showed us the book of his Just family history done by a relative in
Saskatchewan.



We see good possibilities with Helmut Rosenthal and the Volhynian
German community at Santa Rosa once the documentary is completed in
2014, with program also completed  in the Portuguese language.  Our
expectations for our visit today were much more than we ever expected.
Again we were so very well received and welcomed by the Brasilian
community of Volhynian Germans.



On 16 February, we will visit the nearby university, see the private
museum of Dr. Helmut Rosenthal, and visit the Cultural Center. Then we
have a long drive of seven hours from Santo Angelo to Porto Alegre
where we stay overnight. On Friday, 17 February, we fly Porto Alegre
to Buenos Aires, Argentina. From 18-20 February, we will drive the
Coronel Suarez area, State of Buenos Aires, about  six hours south of
Buenos Aires. There we will visit Volga German settlements.



Best wishes from Santo Angelo,



Michael