La Esperanza

Names

Colonia La Esperanza; La Esperanza

Location

31°51' S 58°41' W

History

Colonia La Esperanza was founded in 1900 by Otto Rakow who came from La Esperanza in Santa Fe Province and was the first agricultural colony founded in Argentina.  In 1888, several Volga German families settled south of La Esperanza and north of La Llave.  They had arrived 10 years earlier in Brazil.  Many were related to each other.

Volga German Families

The following Volga German families are known to have been living in Colonia La Esperanza:

Dubs, Enrique & Sinner, Amalia
Dubs, Federico & Bisterfeld, Katharina
Dubs, Juan Melchor & Völker, Eva Elisa
Franz, Jorge & Bernhardt, Catalina
Franz, Santiago & Meier, Anna
Fries, Enrique & Franz, Eva
Hilgenberg, Godofredo & Fries, Catarina Maria
Horst, Carlos & Uhrig, Catalina
Horst, Carlos (son) & Schwindt, Rosa
Horst, Eduardo & Klein, Rosa
Horst, Gaspar & Seib, Catalina
Horst, Juan Cristian & Keip, Emilia
Huwa, Jorge & Natalia
Kimmel, David & Franz, Anna
Kober, Felipe & Dubs, Guillermina
Kober, Melchor & Hanemann, Paulina
Lind, Federico & Meier, Regina
Meier, Jorge Pedro & Dubs, Marcelina
Meier, Juan Conrado & Franz, Catalina Isabel
Meier, Juan Enrique & Franz, Margarita
Meier, Juan Jorge & Dubs, Elisa
Meier, Otto Federico & Franz, Catarina Maria
Motz, Guillermo & Franz, Teresa
Nagel, Juan & Motz, Cristina Rein, Manuel & Schneider, Elvira
Schäfer, Santiago & Horst, Ana
Schneider, Enrique & Völker, Amalia
Schneider, Victor & Dubs, Ida
Strauch, Juan & Meier, Catalina Elisabeth
Unrein, Juan Pedro & Schäfer, Elisa
Unrein, Sebastian & Rau, Rosa
Weimer, Alejandro & Kimmel, Maria
Weimer, Godofredo & Kimmel, Amalia
Wittmann, Federico & Meier, Dorotea

Volga German Congregations

In 1903, a church was built in La Esperanza that also functioned as a school.  It was built on land donated by the Meier family.  A chapel was also built in nearby La Llave on land belonging to Conrad Schneider.  When Pastor Detternborn arrived from Aldea Protestante, worship was held in both places.

Around 1907 the pastor refused to continue conducting worship services in both locations.  This caused discontent and several families from La Llave joined the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana there.