Located in the valley of the river Itajaí, Brusque was founded on August 4, 1860, when 55 German agriculture-working immigrants, coming from Baden, south of German, arrived at Vicente Só. It was the settlement of the "Itajahy Colony", which, later on, was called Brusque. Maximilian Von Schnéeburg was its first director. Yet in 1860, three more groups of immigrants arrived at the colony.

For quite a while, the immigration flow included only Germans. Later on, immigrants from other countries, mainly Italians (1875), followed. A small group of Polish immigrants from Lodz arrived in 1889. They did not have abilities for working in the agriculture and, therefore, initiated the weaving era in a small domestic factory which ended up as the cornerstone of the notable Brazilian fabric industry nowadays.On March 23, 1881 the Itajahy Colony became a Municipality being called São Luiz Gonzaga. It was only in 1890, on February ,17, that it started to be called Brusque officially, as a tribute to Francisco Carlos de Araújo Brusque, President of the Province of Santa Catarina at the time of the foundation of the colony.

On March 23, 1881 the Itajahy Colony became a Municipality being called São Luiz Gonzaga. It was only in 1890, on February ,17, that it started to be called Brusque officially, as a tribute to Francisco Carlos de Araújo Brusque, President of the Province of Santa Catarina at the time of the foundation of the colony.

Translation: Maria Cecília Pastorelli.
Pictures: Lysandro Lima.
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