São Lourenço do Oeste: um olhar sobre sua colonização

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the colonization process of São Lourenço do Oeste, in western Santa Catarina, within the context of the Contestado Territory, where international (Brazil-Argentina) and interstate (Paraná and Santa Catarina) disputes took place, the setting for the Contestado War between 1912 and 1916. The study contextualizes the migratory movement of descendants of Germans and Italians, the role of the Saudades Colonization Company in the commercialization of land from 1944 onwards, and the cultural and socioeconomic impacts on the formation of the municipality, which became independent in 1958. The research, with a qualitative approach, is based on bibliographic, documentary, and iconographic sources, using collections from CEOM, the City Hall, the Museum, the Library, and the City Council, among others. Structured in three chapters, this work addresses the disputes over the Contestado Territory, the actions of the Saudades Colonization Company, and the colonization of São Lourenço do Oeste, highlighting the communities of São Caetano (1950) and Lageado Antunes (1953). The results show that the Saudades Colonization Company implemented basic infrastructure (schools, chapels, roads), attracting migrants from Rio Grande do Sul and, to a lesser extent, from the coast of Santa Catarina. These migrants occupied the space of the caboclo populations and intensified agricultural practices, timber exploitation, and contributed to the emergence of food and furniture industries, among others. The colonization process provided economic diversification, while also preserving cultural traditions, at the cost of excluding existing groups, indicating the need for future research on topics that are still little explored.