The region of Blumenau was inhabited by Kaigangs Indians, Xoklengs also called Botocudos, and even before the foundation of the Colony Blumenau, there were already established families in the Belchior region, on the banks of the Garcia river and the Itajaí-Açú river.
In 1850, the German philosopher Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau obtained from the Provincial Government a land area of two leagues to establish an agricultural colony with European immigrants.
On September 2, 1850, seventeen settlers arrived at the site where today the city of Blumenau stands. Many other immigrants traversed the Atlantic Ocean on private-company sailboats. And so the number of farmers, settlers and cultivators of the lots, measured and demarcated along the rivers and streams that bathed the territory of the concession, grew.
In the beginning, the Colony was owned by the founder, Dr. Blumenau. In 1860 the Imperial Government took over the enterprise and Dr. Blumenau was kept in the direction until the elevation of the colony to the category of municipality, in 1880. In a few years, Dr. Blumenau, endowed with great energy and tenacity, made the colony one of the largest colonizing enterprises of South America, creating an important agricultural and industrial center influential in the country's economy.
Inheritance of the history of its colonization, the micro-region of Blumenau has unique customs and traditions. Colonized at first by Germans, followed by Italians and Poles, it also received inhabitants of the Tijucas River Valley, descendants of Portuguese. Even so, the cities of the microregion mainly incorporated German and Italian culture.
Law No. 860, of February 4, 1880, elevated the colony to the category of municipality. However, in October, a major flood caused serious damage to the population and public administration, with the destruction of bridges and roads. After this, the installation of the municipality was only possible on January 10, 1883, when the elected City Council took office the year before. Next, the municipality received the title of Comarca (1886) and finally, in 1928, it happened to the category of City.
Until 1934 the territory of Blumenau totaled 10,610 km ². Today it comes down to 519.8 km². Thirty-eight new municipalities resulted from successive dismemberments. These, together with Blumenau, make up this prosperous region of the State of Santa Catarina.
