The oldest German settlements in the state are the provincial colonies
founded in 1827. On November 13th of that year the first levy of
settlers, all South Germans, landed at Santos. These were apportioned
into two colonies; one located at _Santo Amaro_ and the other between
Penha and Nossa Senhora dos Garulhos.
The provincial colony of =Quilombo=, located between Itapecerica and
Contia, was founded in 1828.[14]
In 1847 the private colonies of =Ybicaba= and =Angelica= were founded by
the Senador Vergueiro. They were put on the basis of _meiação_,[15] the
later abuse of which, by others than Vergueiro, paved the way for the
famous Heydt rescript[16] of November 3d, 1859.
In the following more recently established provincial colonies the
population is largely made up of German settlers: =Campos Salles=,
founded in 1897; =Jorge Tibiriça=, founded in 1905; =Nova Europa=,
founded in 1907; and =Bandeirantes=, founded in 1908. In addition to
these, the provincial colonies of =Monção= and =Pariquera Assú= also
contain important quotas of Germans.
In the state of São Paulo the Germans form to-day an urban rather than a
rural population. They are very strongly represented in São Paulo (the
capital), Campinas and Santos. The following towns and their vicinities
are also important centers of German population: Riberão Pires, São
Bernardo, Rocinha, Vallinhos, Helvetia, Nova Friburgo, Salto de Ytú,
Sorocaba, Botucatú, Riberão Preto, São João da Bôa Vista, Villa
Americana, Pires, Araras, Leme, Rio Claro, São Carlos do Pinhal, Santa
Rita do Passo Quatro, Santa Cruz das Palmeiras, Brotas, Dous Corregos,
Jahú, Villa Raffard, Piracicaba, and Jacarehy.[17]
Excepting the older colonies first mentioned, the German element in São
Paulo is largely made up as the result of indirect immigration; in the
early years from the Petropolis district, and later from the more
southern states and from Argentine.