Latvians and Cow Heads (Jānis Dzenis)

Fragment from an interview with Jānis Dzenis (1918–2021) about life in the Palma collective farm in Brazil in the first half of the 20th century. In 1924, the evangelical corporation “Palma” was founded in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Around 200–300 Latvians lived and worked there, having emigrated from Latvia in 1922 and 1923 in search of religious freedom in the Brazilian rainforests. Its idea was based on the ideals of the first Christian communities—asceticism, Christian love, and heartfelt, sometimes overly exalted prayers. The museum “Latvians Abroad” met with Jānis at Palma during field work in Brazil in 2011.

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