Pró-Eletro

Company

Brief Criciuma's city History

Criciúma has its name originated from a native term, used to designate a gramineous plant, abounding in city’s downtown. The place war the home for aborigine’s carijos and xoklengs. From 1880, the city received plenty of European immigrants and the aborigines started to disappear slowly.

Criciúma’s history started to be registered from the arrival of the first European immigrants in 1880. The city was basically colonized by seven ethnical people: Afro descendents,   Portuguese, Polish, German, Arabs, Italian and Spanish. To celebrate this cultural diversification the city created a Tradition and Cultural kermis, nowadays called “ethnical party”, which provides space to several cultural manifestations.

The agricultural labor was the first economic activity in the region and the commerce started to be developed at the end of the XIX century. Entailed to the small commerce, the passing of cattle drivers and the crossing of roads which reached several points of the rising of the municipal district emerged the main city square – The Nereu Ramos Square – which was urbanized and gardened in the 30’s.

From 1913 on, carboniferous activities were developed, marking an economic and social cycle in Criciúma’s history. The coal mining not only brought employment as it also attracted a great labor contingent to the region, bringing people from the coast and from the region close to the mountains, in a moment that the place did not count with the adequate infrastructure to receive so many people. The population practically tripled between de decades of the 40’s and 50’s, which caused a social problem, because the agglomeration of these people, allied to the coal pollution, brought up problems such as lack of potable water, basic sanitation, resulting in the spreading of several diseases. At this time the view of the city evidenced the mining workers villages, the soccer fields, the coal mines and the piles of pyrite (coal rejects) and the coal laborers; trucks and locomotives transporting the mineral spreading the coal dust though the air and soil of the city and surroundings. In 1940 the city received the title of the Brazilian Coal Capital.

From this decade on, the city went through a modernization process. After the railroad (decade of the 20’s), came the movie theatre (decade of the 50’s), the first bank agencies (decade of the 40’s), etc. The decades of the 60’s and 70’s were marked by a hygienic process and economic diversification.

At this time, the municipal cemetery was transferred from downtown (in 1965) and the railroad that crossed the city was removed from the city center. As there was only the São José Hospital (decade of 30’s) Two new hospitals were built: The São João Batista Hospital and the Psychiatric Hospital – Rio Maina Health House (Casa de Saúde Rio Maina). It was also the period of avenues constructions (1974) and long roadways. In term of education, the city implanted and improved some school institutions such as the Coal Laborers Society of Assistance Technical School (SATC – Escola Técnica da Sociedade de Assistência aos Trabalhadores do Carvão), some private schools and the implantation of the Criciúma’s Educational Foundation – FUCRI (1968), today it is the UNESC - Santa Caratina’s South University (Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense- UNESC).

The ceramic, textile, food, footwear and civil construction industries started to consolidate themselves in the city’s scenery, which was then known by its coal mining only.

Source: Criciúma’s Historic Patrimony – Criciuma’s City Hall
Official Site: http://www.criciuma.sc.gov.br/conteudo.php?codigo=101&secretaria=30