Guilherme Gaelzer-Netto was a Brazilian politician from Rio Grande do Sul. He was a member of the parties Partido Republicano Rio Grandese (PRR) and Partido Republicano Conservador (PRC). He was also prefect of São Leopoldo from 1902 to 1916. From 1921 to 1941 he was head of the Brazilian Propaganda Agency in Berlin. Gaelzer-Netto went on numerous trips through Europe, presenting Brazilian export products at trade fairs. He also helped connect German and Brazilian companies and worked in the import/export trade. His other activities included mediating between German and Brazilian authorities and recruiting Germans to emigrate to Brazil.

Material:

• talks and manuscripts of talks, approx. 600 sheets (1921-1941)
• reports, approx. 700 sheets (1922-1942)
• 13 transcripts of talks given by other people
• correspondence, approx. 8,500 sheets (1922-1942)
• 12 index boxes containing addresses of German and Brazilian companies and authorities
• 2 index boxes containing addresses of German and Brazilian authorities
• receipts (1920-1942)
• banking documents (1936-1941)
• 5 cash ledgers containing information on the expenses of the Brazilian Propaganda Agency and correspondence
• approx. 400 newspaper clippings (1927-1949)
• numerous editions of “Nachrichtendienst. Amtliche Brasil-Propaganda. Ministerium für Arbeit, Industrie und Handel” (Nos. 1-46; 1940-1941)
• information leaflets on Brazil
• 15 photo albums (featuring Concórdia in Santa Catarina and other colonies; trade fairs)
• over 1,500 black-and-white photographs, postcards (in 12 boxes) (views of towns, agriculture, emigration, trade fairs and exhibitions in Europe, 1900-1941)
• glass plate positives (35 boxes)
• one box with pennants and other materials

Keywords: Brazil, relations between Germany and Brazil, Germans abroad, emigration, history of photography, economic history

Gaelzer Netto´s glass plates in the IAI´s digital collection
Project for the indexing of the Glass Plate Collection