Curitiba's Immigrant Heritage: Polish, Ukrainian & Global Mix
Curitiba has one of the world's most diverse immigrant histories — Polish, Ukrainian, German, Italian, Japanese, and Lebanese communities arrived in waves and created a city of extraordinary cultural plurality
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Polish Memorial Park
The Memorial da Imigração Polonesa – featuring a traditional Polish wooden house – commemorates the Polish immigrants who arrived from 1869 onwards; Curitiba has over 200,000 Brazilians of Polish descent
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Ukrainian Memorial Center
The Ukrainian Memorial in Curitiba – built in the form of a traditional Ukrainian church – celebrates the community that represents the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the Americas outside of Argentina
- 3
Bosque do Papa (Pope's Forest)
Bosque do Papa celebrates Pope John Paul II's visit to Curitiba in 1980 - a park with a Polish chapel, traditional wooden houses and a fountain; the Polish Pope's connection to the city's Polish community
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German cultural tradition
The German immigrant neighborhood of Santa Felicidade (originally Italian) and the German districts maintain cultural traditions – Oktoberfest celebrations, German bakeries and German-language schools
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Japanese Cultural Center
Curitiba's Japanese community – one of Brazil's largest – maintains cultural centers, Buddhist temples and the traditions of Japanese immigration that began in the early 20th century
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Cozinha do Mundo Festival
Curitiba's multicultural food festival celebrates the city's immigrant cuisine — Polish pierogis, Ukrainian borscht, German wurst, Italian pasta and Japanese sushi produced by community organizations