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German Amazon-Jary-Expedition (1935–1937)

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39:. The discovery of a huge cross emblazoned with swastika at the grave site of one of the expedition members in the local jungle has brought the event to renewed international attention during the second decade of the 21st century. Unlike numerous successful and reputable field trips all over Brazil by German research teams from various academic backgrounds during the 1930s, the Amazon-Jary-Expedition has been criticized for its political command, lack of academic necessities and infatuation with the commercial multi-media chronicle, which lead to suspicions about its true purpose. This impression was further reinforced during the following years as other 20: 65: 243: 335: 545: 504: 495: 486: 477: 452: 443: 434: 408: 383: 374: 417: 461: 513: 392: 342: 570: 554: 358: 529: 598: 584: 191: 653:
Among the obvious inconsistencies foreign observers viewed the mission's objectives with suspicion as many argued Nazi Germany hoped to establish a strategic bridgehead in South America. Schulz-Kampfhenkel, however had developed this plan of intrusion and conquest on his own, which he submitted to SS
303:. Upon arrival at the upper Jari River the mission set up camp near an Aparai settlement, explored the jungle, its fauna and collected zoological specimen. They also observed and documented the culture of the Indians and recorded their language, traditional chants and dances with a recording device. 115:
Behind growing economies and trade, Brazil and Germany developed a tradition of scientific cooperation. Many German naturalists, engineers and geologists arrived during the 19th and early 20th century in Brazil. Their expeditions and study and documentation of Brazil's land and nature set standards
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maintained friendly relations with Germany throughout the 19th and early 20th century, characterized by dynamic trade and the moderate but steady immigration process of ethnic Germans into (mainly) southern provinces. Sources provide varying numbers between 200,000 and 300,000 arrivals from 1824 to
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Schulz-Kampfhenkel, born in 1910 near Berlin as the son of an industrialist showed little interest in his family business. Young Otto collected insects, reptiles and other animals and his passion for zoology eventually led to a degree in biology. Already publicly known since the publication of his
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greater political influence and economic ambitions. The vast territory absorbed the increasing numbers of scientific and technical personnel, that had set out to assess and extract resources and natural wealth. Brazil continued its policies of cooperation among growing trade, cultural exchange and
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After around 17 months, the expedition returned to Germany in May 1937 with 2,700 m film, thousands of animal bones and Indian tools and artefacts. Thanks to the dugout canoes and excellent navigation skills of the Indians in the rapids of the Rio Jary was it possible for the expedition to safely
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effectively prohibited the existence and activities of foreign parties within Brazil. Despite the diplomatic threats of the German embassy, future Nazi missions had to be conducted undercover, that lead to no major activities anymore. Only the large wooden cross remains in the Amazon jungle as a
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Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler during World War II. He intended to conquer French Guiana, with only a few hundred men who were to be secretly smuggled into the country by submarines and the help of the local Indians. Workers from Africa, practically slaves, were to later make the land arable.
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and Wayapi Indians, who had previously been believed to have died out. The baking of flat-bread as well as the bartering between the two tribes is shown as well as the typical pile dwellings, the making music on mouth flutes made of deer bones or on nose flutes made of bamboo tubes.
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90-minute full featured film, which was shown for weeks in cinemas nationwide. A great success and extremely popular at the time, despite its commercial composition, it remains a valuable anthropological document to this day. Among the upper waters of the Rio Jary the film shows,
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took place, criticized for pseudo-scientific methods and unacceptable ethic standards and affiliated with dubious Nazi party agencies, that sought support for the crude ideas on their political agendas. The mission's leader had conceived plans for a military takeover of
160:. Atypically, the mission enjoyed nationwide press attention and approval among various circles in the Nazi hierarchy. Initially announced as another customary scientific survey, its goals were only vaguely described as journey out of 229:
Promoted to SS Untersturmführer, 24-year-old Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel set foot on Brazilian soil in July 1935 as head of the expedition, accompanied by experienced pilot Gerd Kahle and engineer and mechanic Gerhard Krause. A modern
1233: 1264: 930: 270:. The advance to the border with French Guiana could only be realized with the help of the indigenous people, who knew the jungle and its rivers. An Indio from the 121: 675: 287:
After only a few weeks the Heinkel seaplane crashed, colliding with driftwood on the Jary river and had to be returned to the base. All men fell ill with
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Schulz-Kampfhenkel utilized his multi-media data, recordings and documentation for the publication and professional marketing of his book
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ever advanced to southern Brazil and establish themselves into the local Germanophone homogeneous communities. Brazil benefitted from
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After the recruitment of many helpers, among them a German, Joseph Greiner, the expedition set off from their base camp at the
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and many remain important works of reference for modern research. Among these travelers were Hans Krieg, the director of the
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1933. Prior to 1871 only very few settlers and even less merchants, scholars, religious missionaries and teachers of the
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This is where German colonists, as representatives of the Nordic race should gain a foothold and gain a living space
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Forschungsstaffel z.b.V.: eine Sondereinheit zur militärgeografischen Beurteilung des Geländes im 2. Weltkrieg
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led a pioneering expedition into south-eastern Brazil and crafted the earliest scientific work about the
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Vom Amazonas an die Ostfront: der Expeditionsreisende und Geograph Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel (1910-1989)
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Fellow Tribesmen: The Image of Native Americans, National Identity, and Nazi Ideology in Germany
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on six boats in the direction of French Guiana in early November and study, explore and map the
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The Humble Ethnographer: Lodewijk Schmidt's Accounts from Three Voyages in Amazonian Guiana
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reach the base camp after almost two years. Exhibits in several cities took place. Several
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The expedition was a cooperation of the German government, its Propaganda Ministry and the
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agreed to guide the explorers. Schulz-Kampfhenkel nicknamed him rather inappropriately
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upon National Socialist demand. But Himmler declined, as other projects had priority.
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Wayana settlements in Suriname, French Guiana and the northernmost villages in Brazil.
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in 1931/32, he organized the expedition to the 790 km (490 mi) long
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and foreman Greiner eventually succumbed to his fever. His grave site in
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Nazi Germany and Southern Europe, 1933-45: Science, Culture and Politics
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and Ernst Nauck as well as the ornithologists Adolf Schneider and
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Literature by and about German Amazon-Jary-Expedition (1935–1937)
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Fernando Clara; Cláudia Ninhos; Sasha Grishin (29 April 2016).
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of Brazil's north-eastern border area along a route of the
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Das Guayana-Projekt: ein deutsches Abenteuer am Amazonas
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Institut für Weltkunde in Bildung und Forschung (WBF)
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Augusto Oyuela-Caycedo, Manuela Fischer, Renzo Duin.
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municipality is marked with the huge swastika topped
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economic progress until the Great depression and the
816:"How the Amazon became popular in the Third Reich" 234:seaplane was to make exploring the region easier. 1003:A Theory of Imagining, Knowing, and Understanding 752: 750: 208:Der Dschungel Rief... (The Jungle Calling...) 8: 1183:. Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar. pp. 23–. 735:. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster 52:), which, upon his return, he presented to 840:. KATALOG DER DEUTSCHEN NATIONALBIBLIOTHEK 291:, Schulz-Kampfhenkel also suffered severe 949:Frederico Füllgraf (September 29, 2019). 929:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( 110:Contributions to Brazil's natural history 29:German Amazon-Jary-Expedition (1935-1937) 1265:Research and development in Nazi Germany 763:. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 232–. 18: 691: 676:German Antarctic Expedition (1938–1939) 666:reminder to National Socialist astray. 972: 970: 968: 919: 908: 944: 942: 940: 697: 695: 152:and the Brazilian government and the 7: 809: 807: 805: 803: 150:Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology 118:Bavarian State Collection of Zoology 859:Renzo S. Duin (25 September 2020). 108:(Reise nach Brasilien) in 1821 and 41:controversial Nazi Germany missions 681:1938–39 German expedition to Tibet 210:, the account of an expedition to 35:scientific expedition in northern 14: 1006:. Springer Nature. pp. 24–. 977:Jens Glüsing (October 23, 2008). 814:Clarissa Neher (March 19, 2020). 702:Simon Romero (December 9, 2016). 94:Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied 68:Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied 16:Nazi Germany expedition to Brazil 896:10.7788/boehlau.9783412214302.97 596: 582: 568: 552: 543: 527: 511: 502: 493: 484: 475: 459: 450: 441: 432: 415: 406: 390: 381: 372: 356: 340: 333: 1129:. Berghahn Books. pp. 5–. 1079:"Rätsel der Urwaldhölle (1938)" 284:'s famous fictional character. 162:scientific desire for knowledge 122:Institute of Tropical Diseases 1: 313:Schulz-Kampfhenkel Collection 148:), under the auspices of the 172:, documentary filmmaker and 1236:Herrenmenschen im Regenwald 1123:Frank Usbeck (1 May 2015). 1000:Luca Tateo (9 March 2020). 622:The riddle of hell's jungle 136:A vaguely described mission 1306: 1290:South American expeditions 1102:"Recreating first Contact" 1034:. Instituto Martius-Staden 256:Santo Antônio da Cachoeira 168:on the map by its leader, 1177:Sören Flachowsky (2011). 1053:Häusler, Hermann (2007). 979:"Nazis im Dschungel-Camp" 315:can still be seen in the 154:National Museum of Brazil 144:'s Foreign Organization ( 120:, the researchers of the 1270:Expeditions from Germany 640:planting methods of the 624:, published in 1938 and 98:local indigenous peoples 23:course of the Jari river 1220:German National Library 1207:Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel 865:. BRILL. pp. 21–. 252:Santo Antonio waterfall 180:Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel 1260:Nazis in South America 918:Cite journal requires 317:Natural History Museum 247: 202: 194:Lower Jari River near 69: 24: 1150:Jens Glüsing (2008). 245: 193: 67: 22: 1156:. Ch. Links Verlag. 612:class=notpageimage| 232:Heinkel He 72 Kadett 661:In April 1938, the 649:The Guayana-Project 321:Humboldt University 222:(also Jary) in the 78:small German states 728:Frederik Schulze. 708:The New York Times 423:    248: 203: 92:From 1815 to 1817 82:Imperial Germany's 73:Independent Brazil 70: 25: 1190:978-3-412-20765-6 1163:978-3-86153-452-5 1136:978-1-78238-655-1 1013:978-3-030-38025-0 872:978-90-04-43049-5 770:978-1-137-55152-8 1297: 1241: 1230: 1195: 1194: 1174: 1168: 1167: 1147: 1141: 1140: 1120: 1114: 1113: 1111: 1109: 1100:Joshua A. Bell. 1097: 1091: 1090: 1088: 1086: 1075: 1069: 1068: 1066: 1064: 1050: 1044: 1043: 1041: 1039: 1033: 1024: 1018: 1017: 997: 991: 990: 988: 986: 974: 963: 962: 960: 958: 953:. NachDenkSeiten 946: 935: 934: 927: 921: 916: 914: 906: 904: 902: 883: 877: 876: 856: 850: 849: 847: 845: 834: 828: 827: 825: 823: 818:. Deutsche Welle 811: 798: 797: 795: 793: 781: 775: 774: 754: 745: 744: 742: 740: 734: 725: 719: 718: 716: 714: 699: 600: 586: 572: 556: 547: 531: 515: 506: 497: 488: 479: 463: 454: 445: 436: 419: 410: 394: 385: 376: 360: 344: 337: 297:Laranjal do Jari 106:Voyage to Brazil 54:Heinrich Himmler 1305: 1304: 1300: 1299: 1298: 1296: 1295: 1294: 1245: 1244: 1239: 1234:Documentation: 1228: 1203: 1198: 1191: 1176: 1175: 1171: 1164: 1149: 1148: 1144: 1137: 1122: 1121: 1117: 1107: 1105: 1099: 1098: 1094: 1084: 1082: 1077: 1076: 1072: 1062: 1060: 1052: 1051: 1047: 1037: 1035: 1031: 1027:Karen Macknow. 1026: 1025: 1021: 1014: 999: 998: 994: 984: 982: 976: 975: 966: 956: 954: 948: 947: 938: 928: 917: 907: 900: 898: 885: 884: 880: 873: 858: 857: 853: 843: 841: 836: 835: 831: 821: 819: 813: 812: 801: 791: 789: 788:. Scielo Brazil 783: 782: 778: 771: 756: 755: 748: 738: 736: 732: 727: 726: 722: 712: 710: 701: 700: 693: 689: 672: 651: 618: 617: 616: 614: 608: 607: 606: 605: 601: 593: 592: 591: 587: 579: 578: 577: 573: 565: 564: 563: 557: 549: 548: 540: 539: 538: 532: 524: 523: 522: 516: 508: 507: 499: 498: 490: 489: 481: 480: 472: 471: 470: 464: 456: 455: 447: 446: 438: 437: 429: 428: 427: 420: 412: 411: 403: 402: 401: 395: 387: 386: 378: 377: 369: 368: 367: 361: 353: 352: 351: 345: 329: 280:- after author 266:to neighboring 240: 188: 138: 62: 50:Guayana-Projekt 17: 12: 11: 5: 1303: 1301: 1293: 1292: 1287: 1285:1937 in Brazil 1282: 1280:1936 in Brazil 1277: 1275:1935 in Brazil 1272: 1267: 1262: 1257: 1247: 1246: 1243: 1242: 1231: 1223: 1213: 1202: 1201:External links 1199: 1197: 1196: 1189: 1169: 1162: 1142: 1135: 1115: 1092: 1070: 1045: 1019: 1012: 992: 964: 936: 920:|journal= 878: 871: 851: 829: 799: 784:Stefan Rinke. 776: 769: 746: 720: 690: 688: 685: 684: 683: 678: 671: 668: 650: 647: 610: 609: 603: 602: 595: 594: 589: 588: 581: 580: 575: 574: 567: 566: 559: 558: 551: 550: 542: 541: 534: 533: 526: 525: 518: 517: 510: 509: 501: 500: 492: 491: 483: 482: 474: 473: 466: 465: 458: 457: 449: 448: 440: 439: 431: 430: 422: 421: 414: 413: 405: 404: 397: 396: 389: 388: 380: 379: 371: 370: 363: 362: 355: 354: 347: 346: 339: 338: 332: 331: 330: 328: 325: 311:skulls of the 239: 238:The expedition 236: 200:Almeirim, Pará 187: 184: 158:Rio de Janeiro 137: 134: 100:, such as the 61: 58: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1302: 1291: 1288: 1286: 1283: 1281: 1278: 1276: 1273: 1271: 1268: 1266: 1263: 1261: 1258: 1256: 1253: 1252: 1250: 1238: 1237: 1232: 1227: 1224: 1221: 1217: 1214: 1212: 1208: 1205: 1204: 1200: 1192: 1186: 1182: 1181: 1173: 1170: 1165: 1159: 1155: 1154: 1146: 1143: 1138: 1132: 1128: 1127: 1119: 1116: 1104:. 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Index


Nazi era
Brazil
controversial Nazi Germany missions
French Guiana
Heinrich Himmler

Independent Brazil
small German states
Imperial Germany's
Vargas Era
Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
local indigenous peoples
Botocudos
Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
Institute of Tropical Diseases
Gustav Giemsa
Helmut Sick
Nazi party
NSDAP/AO
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology
National Museum of Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
zoologist
SS
officer
Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel

Monte Dourado
Almeirim, Pará

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