A Colônia Luxemburguesa

Carlo Krieger is the Ambassador of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg in Brazil (2018-2022).

Carlo Panunzi was born in Italy, grew up in Southern Luxembourg and was the last Luxembourgish general director of Belgo Mineira.

The Casino was built by the Companhia Siderúrgica Belgo Mineira. Following the Luxembourgish Casino concept developed by ARBED, it was destined to accommodate recently arrived employees of the company and had a restaurant serving typical Luxembourgish dishes.

Messias Guimarães started his career in the Brazilian Air Force and moved to João Monlevade in 1952 to work as a receptionist and waiter in the Belgo Mineira Casino.

Jean de Luxembourg (1921-2019) was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 to 2004, and first visited Brazil as Crown Prince in 1942 and several times since then.

Dominique is a Luxembourg-Brazilian historian and filmmaker investigating the histories of the Colônia Luxemburguesa.

The Fazenda Solar was built around 1818 as the new residence of the French engineer Jean Antoine Félix Dissandes de Monlevade. Today, the Fazenda belongs to ArcelorMittal and is occasionally used for special receptions.

Marc André Meyers was born in Brazil as the eldest son of a Luxembourgish engineer. He is the author of "A Dama e o Luxemburguês" and university professor in San Diego.

Paulo Speller was born and raised in João Monlevade as the eldest son of the Luxembourgish engineer Guillaume Prosper Speller. Today, he is a university professor living in Belo Horizonte.

Josette Scharlé is the granddaughter of Albert Scharlé and is currently living in Belo Horizonte.

José Nicolau Hein is the only son of Joseph Hein, Belgo Mineira's general director from 1956 to 1973. He lives in Belo Horizonte with his Brazilian wife.

Herbert Forster moved to João Monlevade with his parents in 1951 as a 9-year-old boy. He is currently living in Curitiba with his wife Rosimere.

Yves Moyen is the son of François and Marie-Thérèse Moyen-Kappweiler. He is currently living in São Paulo.

Sylvie Moyen is the daughter of François and Marie-Thérèse Moyen-Kappweiler. She is currently living in Belo Horizonte.

François Moyen was sent to Brazil by ARBED in 1956 with his wife. He was Belgo Mineira's General Director and Honorary Consul of Luxembourg in Belo Horizonte.

Marie-Rose Steil-Blang lived in João Monlevade from 1951 to 1957. Her husband was a technician at Belgo Mineira. Today, Marie-Rose is living in her hometown Esch-sur-Alzette.

Rosa Toussaint moved to João Monlevade with her husband in 1948. The nearly 100-year-old widow has not left Monlevade ever since.

Joseph Hein (1902-1983) was born in 1902 in Belvaux and moved to Brazil in 1934. Hein was Belgo Mineira's general director from 1956 to 1974. He died tragically in 1983 while being attacked by bees in his fazenda.

Félix Chomé (1888-1972) was the President of Arbed's board of directors from 1952 to 1961. In 1953, the Fundação Félix Chomé was created in Belo Horizonte to offer scholarships to children of Belgo Mineira's employees.

Emile Demuth was a Luxembourgish engineer who joined Belgo Mineira in 1954. Torn apart from his family back home, he shared his experiences and intimate thoughts with his wife, son and mother-in-law in 68 letters.

The Historical Cemetery of Monlevade, also known as the Cemetery of the Slaves, was entirely built by the Jean de Monlevade's slaves in the 19th century. There, the two European engineers Jean de Monlevade and Louis Ensch are buried next to each other. This private cemetery belongs to ArcelorMittal and is maintained by the company as a historical monument of its corporate history.

Louis Ensch (1895-1953) was born in Redange-sur-Attert and moved to Brazil in 1927, where he became the general director of Belgo Mineira until 1953.

Elly is Emile Demuth's wife. After a long-distance relationship of almost one and a half years, she finally joins her husband in João Monlevade with her mother and their only son Roby.

Roby Demuth is the only son of Emile and Elly Demuth. After his graduation, he joins his father in João Monlevade together with his mother and grandmother. In 1957, Roby returns to Europe without his parents to study engineering in Zurich.

Jean de Monlevade (1791-1872) was a French engineer who moved to Brazil in 1817. He settled in Minas Gerais, where he exploited the State's vast iron ore reserves near the Piracicaba river, with over 100 slaves. The Monlevade family lived in the Fazenda Solar, which was acquired by Belgo Mineira in the 1920s. Belgo Mineira decided to call its industrial town João Monlevade in his honour.

Fueskichelcher (also called "Verwurelter") are traditional Luxembourgish small fried cakes, similar to donuts. The dough mixture is shaped into knots, deep-fried, then dusted with powdered or granulated sugar, and can then be enjoyed warm or chilled. In Luxembourg, they are a festival staple and are traditionally prepared for the Luxembourgish carnaval in February.