Bonadurer Brazil.
Alexander Bonadurer and his wife Dorothea emigrated to Brazil in 1855 — to the Fazenda Ybicaba coffee plantation in the province of São Paulo.
For their emigration to Brazil, the emigrants did not have to worry about where they would settle — the destination was known from the outset: the province of São Paulo in southern Brazil.
By signing the so-called “sharecropping contracts,” those willing to emigrate placed their trust in the hands of the agent who organized the journey.
Thomas Davatz · Village School Teacher from Fanas
Thomas Davatz was one of the 338 emigrants from Graubünden to Brazil. He was tasked with reporting to the Graubünden government whether Brazil was suitable as a country for emigration. His name became famous over 100 years later when Evelin Hasler wrote the novel “Ibicaba — The Paradise in Their Minds.”
Alexander Bonadurer on the Ybicaba Plantation
Alexander Bonadurer, Graubünden, 2 persons — Alexander (51 years old) and his wife Dorothea (40 years old). The couple traveled without children. To date, no further data from Brazil is known.
Documents & Sources
| Passenger List Kronprinz Ernst August (PDF) |
| ← Full Article |
| ← Emigrations |
Source
Eva Dietrich / Roman Rossfeld / Béatrice Ziegler (Eds.) “The Dream of Happiness” Baden 2003
Documents & Sources
Passenger Lists · Travel Report · Research Article
Complete Passenger List · Fazenda Ybicaba25 Families / Groups ↓
Complete list of colonists brought to the Ybicaba plantation (São Paulo province). Alexander Bonadurer is listed as No. 5 — highlighted.
| No. | Name | Canton | Pers. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daniel Schlittler | Glarus | 5 P. |
| 2. | Kaspar Schlittler | Glarus | 5 P. |
| 3. | Fridolin Glarner | Glarus | 3 P. |
| 4. | Felix Disch | Glarus | 1 P. |
| 5. | Alexander Bonadurer | Graubünden | 2 P. |
| 6. | Bernhard Bühler | Graubünden | 5 P. |
| 7. | Laurenz Krättli | Graubünden | 3 P. |
| 8. | Joh. Rudolf Krättli | Graubünden | 10 P. |
| 9. | Johann Krättli | Graubünden | 7 P. |
| 10. | Jakob Krättli | Graubünden | 5 P. |
| 11. | Bernhard Christ | Graubünden | 7 P. |
| 12. | Johannes Rupert | Graubünden | 4 P. |
| 13. | Felix Davatz | Graubünden | 5 P. |
| 14. | Ursula Bayon | Graubünden | 7 P. |
| 15. | Thomas Davatz | Graubünden | 13 P. |
| 16. | Josias Davatz | Graubünden | 1 P. |
| 17. | Samuel Obrist | Aargau | 6 P. |
| 18. | Balz Luck | Aargau | 6 P. |
| 19. | Jak. Leonz Huber | Aargau | 6 P. |
| 20. | Marie Josette Peclat | Freiburg | 10 P. |
| 21. | Gebrüder Berchtold | Unterwalden | 2 P. |
| 22. | Konrad Wiesmann | Zürich | 1 P. |
| 23. | Joh. Jakob Meyer | Zürich | 1 P. |
| 24. | Heinrich Strassecker | Zürich | 1 P. |
| 25. | Jakob Stucki | Zürich | 1 P. |
Fazenda "Ibicaba", founded in 1817. To date, no further data on Alexander and Dorothea Bonadurer in Brazil is known. The couple traveled without children.
Swiss Emigration to Brazilian Coffee Plantations · 1852–1888Summary of Research Article ↓
Summary and excerpts from: Eva Dietrich / Roman Rossfeld / Béatrice Ziegler (Eds.), "The Dream of Happiness. Swiss Emigration to Brazilian Coffee Plantations 1852–1888." Baden 2003. — Compiled by Roland Bonadurer in connection with his private family research.
The Initial Situation
Between 1852 and 1857, approximately 2,000 impoverished Swiss men and women emigrated to the province of São Paulo in Brazil, where they worked as coffee pickers on 25 coffee plantations. In emigration advertisements, Brazil was stylized as an earthly paradise. The reality was different — the paradise in their minds quickly gave way to the harsh daily life on the plantations.
Under pressure from international criticism of slavery, Brazil attempted from the 1840s onwards to replace slaves with colonists who were to cultivate the coffee plantations as sharecroppers. However, the Swiss were also treated unfairly — they had little chance of paying off their debts and becoming independent farmers.
The Partnership Contract (Sharecropping Agreement)
The sharecropping contract was drawn up in three languages. By signing it, those willing to emigrate placed their complete trust in the hands of the agent. In total, 116 people had signed such "sharecropping contracts." The initiator of the partnership colonization was Senator Nicolau Pereira da Campos Vergueiro.
The Journey · Ship "Kronprinz Ernst August" · 1855
The emigrants traveled from Weesen (GL) by boat to Baden, and from there on to Hamburg. There they had to wait for their ship "Kronprinz Ernst August." Thomas Davatz described in detail the conditions on board in his report: hunger, disorder, a man who fell into the bay and drowned. Upon arrival in Ybicaba on July 8, 1855, everyone had to pay 6 Milreis.
Thomas Davatz and the Revolt
Thomas Davatz, a village school teacher from Fanas, became the actual "leader" of the Graubünden emigrants. His report on the untenable conditions on the plantations became a Swiss state affair. Thomas Davatz had to leave the country in a hurry; his story became world-famous over 100 years later through Evelin Hasler's novel "Ibicaba — The Paradise in Their Minds."
"Under pressure from increasing international criticism of slavery, Brazil attempted from the 1840s onwards to replace slaves with colonists. The emigrants had little chance of paying off their debts and becoming independent farmers."
The complete summary — with letters from North America and Brazil (Krättli family, Heitzmann family), the story of Anna Philipp-Carl, and further chapters — is accessible on the original page.
Passenger List "Kronprinz Ernst August" · April 25, 1855Transcript · PDF ↓
Transcript of the passenger list for the ship "Kronprinz Ernst August", departure April 25, 1855. The original images of the passenger list are with Roland Bonadurer. Some names are incomplete — please report any additions.
The text referred to as "transcript" in the inventory is based on a handwritten original; some names are therefore difficult to read and may have been transcribed incorrectly.