Danish immigration to Brazil

Danish immigration to Brazil was at its highest at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, together with other European migrations. Brazil was the country to receive the second largest number of Danes in Latin America, second to Argentina. As an unofficial migration, the numbers may vary. It is estimated that around 5,000 Danes entered Brazil from 1864, after the Second Schleswig War, until the First World War.

Danes primarily settled in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. In the state of Minas Gerais, Danes were responsible for implementing a cheese culture in the 19th century, creating a cheese similar to the Danish cheese Danbo. A Danish settlement formed in the region of São João da Boa Vista and in the city of São Paulo (see Adam von Bülow, founder of Antarctica company, Henning Albert Boilesen and the sailing brothers Torben Grael and Lars Grael). Danes also settled in the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, regions which also saw significant settlement by Germans at the time.

Notable people

 * Johan Dalgas Frisch, an engineer and ornithologist from São Paulo, is the son of Danish immigrants.
 * Richard Rasmussen, a biologist has Danish ancestry.