Blumenau is a city found on the Vale do Itajaí. The city got its name from German philosopher and pharmacist Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau. He founded Blumenau in 1850 and with him were 17 settlers and their families. Their intention was to build a farming community but this proved to be impossible due to the city’s rugged terrains.

Before Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau came to the city the entire region was occupied by three Indian tribes. These were the kaigangs, xoklengs, and Botocudos. For years they revolted against the German settlers and their promise of progress.

In the last part of the eighteenth century, other European settlers began to arrive in Blumenau in search of land and for opportunities. They came in rented sailing boats from the Atlantic. With these new setters, the number of craftsmen and farmers in Blumenau increased little by little.

At the start, the city was considered as a private property of Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau. But these resulted in a series of problems. The government stepped in and it was liberated in 1882. But Dr. Blumenau still remained as part of the colony’s administration.

The city has been witness to a number of floods. The first one happened in September 1880. A decade after, the worst flood left the city isolated for a number of weeks. This was in 1983 and 1984. After this, Blumenau prepared itself from any more of this happening and most of its citizens moved to higher areas to protect themselves.