Nuevo Berlín
Encyclopedia
Nuevo Berlín is a town in the Río Negro Department
of western Uruguay
. It is located on the east bank of Uruguay River
7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of the junction of Route 24 with Route 20. South of the town flows the stream Arroyo de la Yeguada and to its west, in the Uruguay River, is the island Isla del Burro. Its distance from the capital of the department Fray Bentos
is 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) via Route 42 and Route 2
.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
settlements were created next to the river, mostly composed by farmers. One of the first settlements was named Nueva Melhem (New Melhem) by two brothers, Richard and Karl Wendelstandt. They migrated from Germany around 1850.
. Some years later, they bought properties in Paysandú
which they renamed as Nueva Melhem. This new farm, with some 27,000 hectare
s was surrounded by 32 “positions”, 31 of which were occupied by other German families.
, a Douglas DC-9-32, registration LV-WEG, en route from Posadas
to Buenos Aires, crashed near Nuevo Berlín, Uruguay
, after entering a storm, resulting in the death of all 74 occupants, of whom 69 were passengers.
Río Negro Department
The Río Negro Department is an administrative division of Uruguay located in the west of the country. It has 53,989 inhabitants and an area of 9,282 km² . Its capital is Fray Bentos.-Geography and climate:...
of western Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. It is located on the east bank of Uruguay River
Uruguay River
The Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of the junction of Route 24 with Route 20. South of the town flows the stream Arroyo de la Yeguada and to its west, in the Uruguay River, is the island Isla del Burro. Its distance from the capital of the department Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos, the capital of the Río Negro Department of western Uruguay, is a port on the Uruguay River. It is close to the border with Argentina and about due north of Buenos Aires.-History:...
is 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) via Route 42 and Route 2
Route 2 (Uruguay)
Route 2 is a national route of Uruguay. In 1983, it was assigned the name Grito de Asencio. It connects Fray Bentos with Rosario. The road is approximately in length.-References:...
.
Population
In 2004 it had a population of 2,438.| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 1,893 |
| 1975 | 2,659 |
| 1985 | 2,097 |
| 1996 | 2,366 |
| 2004 | 2,438 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
German settlers
In the 19th century, some GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
settlements were created next to the river, mostly composed by farmers. One of the first settlements was named Nueva Melhem (New Melhem) by two brothers, Richard and Karl Wendelstandt. They migrated from Germany around 1850.
Farming activities
Then Richard and Karl Wendelstandt bought the farm “El Curupí” in the Department of SorianoSoriano
Soriano may refer to: People* Alfonso Soriano, Dominican baseball player for the Chicago Cubs * Antero Soriano, Philippine senator* Edward Soriano, lieutenant-general, U.S. Army...
. Some years later, they bought properties in Paysandú
Paysandú
-Transportation:The city is served by Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport.-Climate:Paysandú has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog...
which they renamed as Nueva Melhem. This new farm, with some 27,000 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s was surrounded by 32 “positions”, 31 of which were occupied by other German families.
Town development
Meanwhile, the Wendelstandt family in Germany decided to invest in their relatives’ properties in Uruguay. With these investments, the surroundings of farm “Nueva Melhem” became the town Nuevo Berlín around 1865-1868, with the approval of the brothers Wendelstandt, who requested Mr. Fridolin Quincke to design it. The task was finished by the end of 1874.Aviation accident
Flight 2553Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 2553
Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 2553, better known as Austral 2553, was a domestic scheduled Posadas–Buenos Aires service operated with a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 that crashed on the lands of Estancia Magallanes, Nuevo Berlín, away from Fray Bentos, Uruguay, on . All 74 passengers and crew perished...
, a Douglas DC-9-32, registration LV-WEG, en route from Posadas
Posadas, Misiones
Posadas is the capital city of the Argentine province of Misiones, located at the south of the province, on the left-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Encarnación, Paraguay. The city has an area of 965 km² and a population of 323,739 ....
to Buenos Aires, crashed near Nuevo Berlín, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, after entering a storm, resulting in the death of all 74 occupants, of whom 69 were passengers.