
Last modified: 2021-12-11 by ian macdonald
Keywords: santa catarina | blumenau | stripes: 4 (red) | stripes: 3 (white) | coat of arms | 
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![[Flag of Blumenau, SC (Brazil)]](../images/b/br-sc-bl.gif) image by Ivan Sache, 1 November 2021
 
image by Ivan Sache, 1 November 2021
The municipality of Blumenau (357,199 inhabitants in 2019, therefore the 3rd 
most populated municipality in the state and the 8th in Brazil's Region South; 
51,980 ha) is located 130 km north-west of Florianópolis.
The municipality is 
composed of the town of Blumenau and of the districts of Vila Itoupava (est. by 
State Law No. 941 promulgated on 31 December 1943) and Grande Garcia (est. by 
Complementary Law No. 251 promulgated on 17 December 1999).
Blumenau was 
established in 1950 by the German chemist Otto Blumenau (1819-1899). The first 
colonists settled the place on 2 September 1850. Originally owned by its 
founder, Blumenau was taken over in 1860 by the Brazilian Empire, which 
established a colony with Dr. Blumenau as its director.
The municipality of 
Blumenau was established by Law No. 860 promulgated on 4 February 1880. A flood 
that destroyed roads and bridges in October 188O caused the delay of the 
municipality's inauguration to 10 January 1883. In 1934, the municipal territory 
covered 106,100 ha. The subsequent establishment of 38 new municipalities 
decreased its area by one half.
https://www.blumenau.sc.gov.br/
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 1 November 2021
The flag of Blumenau is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 1,287 promulgated on 
20 November 1964.
Article 2.
The flag of Blumenau shall have the 
regulated dimensions and be composed of six red horizontal stripes and another 
three white, charged in the center with the coat of arms of the municipality, in 
full colors, superimposed to a yellow sphere.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/b/blumenau/lei-ordinaria/1964/129/1287/lei-ordinaria-n-1287-1964-institui-a-bandeira-de-blumenau 
Leis Municipais database
The coat of arms of Blumenau is prescribed by 
Municipal Law No. 19 promulgated on 21 June 1948.
Article 1.
The coat 
of arms adopted by the municipality of Blumenau was designed by Dr. Afonso 
d'Escragnolle Taunay.
Article 3.
The arms of the municipality of 
Blumenau are composed of a Portuguese rounded-off shield, surmounted by a mural 
crown proper to municipalities, quartered in six parts with an escutcheon 
superimposed to 3 and 4. In chief dexter angle, on a field gules a leopard. 
Sinister, on a field argent, an eagle sable armed langued and crowned or the 
wings outlined of the same holding dexter a scepter and sinister a sword. On the 
dexter flank, on a field azure the main charge of the Brazilian national arms. 
On the sinister flank, also azure a "St. Catherine's armed road" and an anchor 
and key argent crossed, from Santa Catarina's old coat of arms, all argent. In 
base dexter on a field barry or and sable a crancelin sable. In base sinister, 
on a field argent a lion azure. Inescutcheon, on a field azure five stars or 
simulating the Southern Cross, a field flory proper and a river argent. 
Supporters dexter Dr. Blumenau, after a photo dated 1860, sinister a lumberjack 
armed with an axe after a photo from the colony dated from the same period. A 
scroll azure inscribed the motto "Por Santa Catarina e pelo Brasil" "Pro Sancta 
Catarina et Brasilis". Behind the scroll an iron cogwheel proper.
Article 
4.
This design stresses that Blumenau, founded by the illustrous civilizator 
for whom it was named, Hermann Blumenau, had in its early days colonists from 
Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, Tirol and Württemberg. These origins are recalled by 
the leopard of Brunswick (Dr. Blumenau's fatherland), the Prussian and Tyrolean 
eagles, the Bavarian lion and the Saxon crancelin, located in the chief and 
base's quarters. The shield's central part was reserved to recall the 
German-Brazilian fusion, jointly using heraldic charges from the arms of 
Germany, Brazil and Santa Catarina. The escutcheon superimposed in the center, 
the arms' main part, makes the arms canting since Blumenau means "a flory 
field", here a flory field on the bank of a river (here, Itajaí) and under the 
Southern Cross. The cogwheel recalls Blumenau's great industry that so much 
contributed to Brazil's industrial offer.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/b/blumenau/lei-ordinaria/1948/2/19/lei-ordinaria-n-19-1948-adota-o-escudo-d-armas 
Leis Municipais database
As stated in the Law, These arms were offerred 
to the municipality of Blumenau in the second semester of 1936 by Afonso 
d'Escragnolle Taunay (1876-1958). Known as "the São Paulo historian" for his 
numerous contributions, the monumental "História geral das bandeiras paulistas" 
(11 volumes, 1924-1950) and "História do café no Brasil" (15 volumes, 
1939-1943), Afonso de Taunay was born in Nostra Senhora de Desterro (today, 
Florianópolis) from Viscount de Taunay (1843-1899), then President of the Santa 
Catarina province. He designed the arms of several municipalities in São Paulo, 
Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Bania, and of four Santa Catarina 
municipalities: Blumenau, Joinville, Laguna and São Francisco do Sul.
The new 
Constitution promulgated on 10 November 1937 in the aftermath of the 1930 
Revolution abolished the coats of arms of the Brazilian states and 
municipalities. The next Constitution, promulgated in September 1946 
re-established them. Several towns re-adopted their original arms, first of them 
Blumenau, without changing anything in Taunay's original description.
The 
coats of arms designed by Afonso de Taunay were far from being compliant with 
norms of heraldry. In articles published in 1931 and 1932 in the Journal de 
Commércio (Rio de Janeiro), the historian admitted that he really enjoyed 
designing arms but that his heraldic knowledge was extremely limited and that he 
would not care increasing it. His designs often include too many quarters and 
escutcheons arbitrarily arranged, break the tincture rule and use inappropriate 
outer ornaments. The blazons use inappropriate or erroneous heraldic worlds, mix 
heraldic description and symbolic meaning; it was also pointed out that the 
description of family arms is sometimes incomplete or fanciful.
https://agora.emnuvens.com.br/ra/article/view/34
Edison Mueller. 1986. Afonso 
de Tunay e a heráldica municipal catarinense. Conclusão do numéro anterior. 
ÁGORA: Arquivologia Em Debate, 2(4), 10-23
Photos
https://www.guiadasemana.com.br/blumenau/turismo/evento/oktoberfest-blumenau-2015-parque-vila-germanica-07-10-2015
https://twitter.com/prefeiturabnu/status/803589534218940417 
https://www.facebook.com/PrefeituraBNU/photos/a.367886686566115/2330822336939197/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/PrefeituraBNU/photos/a.367886686566115/2050065465014887/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/PrefeituraBNU/photos/a.367886686566115/1950407868313981/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/prefeituradeflorianopolis/photos/a.370895943018875/1391990374242755/?type=3&theater
Image by "Josedar", Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Blumenau.svg 
Ivan Sache, 1 November 2021