German Colonia Tovar in Venezuela

German Colonia Tovar
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People Name: German Colonia Tovar
Country: Venezuela
10/40 Window: No
Population: 6,100
World Population: 6,100
Primary Language: German, Colonia Tovar
Primary Religion: Christianity
Christian Adherents: 88.00 %
Evangelicals: 0.50 %
Scripture: Unspecified
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: No
Audio Recordings: No
People Cluster: Germanic
Affinity Bloc: Eurasian Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Colonia Tovar was established by Germans from the Black Forest region in 1843. It was an agricultural settlement, isolated from the rest of Venezuela. The people only married others from their colonia until much later. They only spoke their 19th century German dialect until Spanish was introduced in the 1940s, 100 years after their founding. It became a tourist attraction in 1964. Today it’s difficult to find someone who only speaks the Colonia Tovar German dialect.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Their economic activities are mainly about tourism and agriculture. They grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Their culture remains German, though they now speak a different German dialect. The cuisine includes decadent German desserts such as strudels and cakes. They celebrate Octoberfest and Carnival and have a yearly celebration for the day Colonia Tovar was founded, April 8.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The German Colonia Tovar people celebrate November 11 as the day to honor St. Martin of Tours, their patron saint. They have special Easter celebrations, though they are more likely to feature Easter eggs than the resurrection. They are mainly Roman Catholic, though secularism is prevalent in their mindset.

What Are Their Needs?

The German Colonia Tovar people need to put Jesus Christ first in their hearts and minds.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to raise up people from this community who will disciple others in the ways of Christ.
Pray for the Lord to revive churches in the Colonia Tovar with a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for spiritual hunger and a desire to find truth.

Text Source:   Joshua Project