Crissiumal is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, located in the Northwest Rio Grande do Sul mesoregion and the Três Passos Microregion, at a latitude of 27°30'00" south and a longitude of 54°06'03" west, at an altitude of 410 meters. Its estimated population in 2016 was 14,233, covering an area of 363.106 km2. The municipality is traversed by the waters of the Uruguay River. Its main access is via the RS-207 highway, though it is also served by the RS-305.
Crissiumal was originally founded in 1933, with official emancipation occurring in 1954. Its name is believed to originate from criciúma, a plant abundant in the region, which in the Tupi language means a smooth, flexible rod or small bamboo. The service sector currently accounts for 60% of the municipal GDP, serving as the primary source of income.
One of Crissiumal's most prominent and traditional football clubs is the Tupi Futebol Clube, established in May 1949. Crissiumal hosts various events, such as the Feast of Our Lady of Navigators and Expocris, and features several tourist attractions, including the Castle, the Pioneer Monument, and the Church of the Three Holy Martyrs of the Missions. It is known as the Gaucho capital of agro-industries. Crissiumal is the 122nd most populous city in the state and the 2133rd in Brazil.
Etymology The city's name derives from a shrub-like plant common in the region, known as criciúma. The word criciúma likely originates from the Tupi language, meaning a smooth, flexible rod or small bamboo. According to the Michaelis Dictionary, it refers to plants of the genera Criciuma or Bambusa, belonging to the grass family. The etymology of the word is unknown, and the correct spelling is "quiriciúma," as, according to Anchieta, there are no consonant clusters in the Tupi language.
History
Colonization and emancipation of Crissiumal
The first inhabitants of Crissiumal were the Tupi indigenous groups. These indigenous peoples cultivated maize, cassava, and yam, which they used to produce other foods and low-alcohol beverages. In the 1930s, two indigenous settlements, each with 60 to 70 families, existed in the areas of Bela Vista and Linha Porto Alegre. In the 1970s, artifacts such as two millstones, a pair of spurs, spears, and caves containing clay ovens were discovered there. These groups originated from Paraguay, where they had participated in an uprising against the government. After their failure, they were persecuted and fled to Brazilian territory. There is no evidence of bandeirantes passing through Crissiumal or of Jesuit missions led by religious orders in the area.
The area where Crissiumal is located was one of the last regions in Rio Grande do Sul to be settled by European colonizers. Initially, the area was occupied by indigenous groups. In the end of the late 19th century, efforts to colonize northern and northwestern Rio Grande do Sul gained momentum through the removal of bureaucratic obstacles, and the establishment of legal and logistical incentives. As the lands in the "old colonies" were already occupied, and population growth required new frontiers for settlers' descendants and new immigrants, several colonization projects were implemented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, facilitating migration to the region. In 1890, the "Ijuí Colony" was founded, composed of newly arrived European immigrants, descendants of old colony settlers, and native peoples. Closer to Crissiumal, settlers established the "Upper Uruguay Military Colony" in 1879, which later, in 1944, became the municipality of Três Passos.
Settlement and occupation of Crissiumal began in the early 1930s with colonists from the municipalities of Estrela, Lajeado, Sobradinho, Venâncio Aires, and Roca Sales in Rio Grande do Sul, and from Laguna, Tubarão, Criciúma, and Urussanga in Santa Catarina. The first European settler to arrive in Crissiumal was Domingos Maccari, a foreman for the firm Dahne, Conceição & Cia., in 1930. He was followed by Domingos Meneghel in 1933, Adolfo Rinaldi, Ivo dos Santos, Albino Löwe, Bernardo Dickel, and Miguel Schutz, some with their families. On January 6, 1936, the first mass was celebrated, and the first chapel was built on January 23 of the same year. The fertility of the land attracted relatives and acquaintances of the pioneers, leading to an influx of new settlers. Roads were carved through the forest, and ox carts and trucks transported the colony's products to larger centers. In the book History of Crissiumal, José Raymundo Pletsch, based on accounts from Adelina Frieda Schütz, described the scene during Crissiumal's early colonization:
Schwanke and Pohl also describe how the first settlers arrived in Crissiumal:
On January 6, 1936, Crissiumal was recognized as a village. On January 1, 1941, the first baptism took place, and on January 3, the first marriage, between Ruy Mesch and Josefina Focking, was celebrated by the first parish priest, Father Sebastião Rademaker. In 1944, Crissiumal and Três Passos united to seek emancipation, and on December 28, 1944, State Decree-Law No. 716 created the municipality of Três Passos and the Crissiumal District. In the 1950 Census, the Crissiumal District had more inhabitants than the municipal seat, leading to an emancipation movement. In a 1954 plebiscite, the population voted to separate from Três Passos. State Law No. 2,553, enacted on December 18, 1954, established the municipality of Crissiumal.
From emancipation to the 1990s Egon Theophilo Heinsch described the atmosphere of Crissiumal in 1956 in his book Crissiumal: A Bit of History: Tupy F.C. and Its Struggle:
After emancipation, direct elections for mayor and councilors were held on February 20, 1955. Lauro Pedro Thomaz, the only candidate for mayor, was elected, took office on February 28, 1955, and governed until January 1, 1960. During his administration, the sub-prefecture building was adapted to house administrative and legislative functions temporarily. Municipal roads were improved and widened, a city master plan was developed, new teachers were hired, schools were built, the town center and the villages of Humaitá and Vista Nova were electrified, and artesian wells were drilled for potable water, though no water was found.
The second mayor, Alcido Brust, was elected by direct and secret vote through the PTB-PRB coalition. His administration saw the installation of a municipal telephone network, the construction of a works yard, the installation of a stone crusher, the building of wooden schools funded by the state government called brizoletas, the electrification of Lajeado Crissiumal, Vista Alegre, and Linha Porto Alegre, the construction of a masonry building for the Rocha Pombo School with state funding, and the remodeling of the 25 de Julho Square.
The third mayor, Pedro Harry Hoffmann, governed from 1964 to 1969. During his term, some streets in the town center were paved and tree-lined, the 25 de Julho Square was completed, the foundation and lower part of the new municipal building were constructed, over 100 telephones were installed, twelve localities were electrified, an ASCAR office was established, an exposition park was built, and fourteen new primary schools were created and constructed.
From 1965, Crissiumal was designated a National Security Area due to its border with Argentina, and mayors were appointed by the President of Brazil. The first appointed mayor was Benno Bender, who led the municipal executive from July 7, 1971, to August 9, 1975. His administration saw the town center supplied with water by Corsan, the construction of a police station, the Ponche Verde State High School, and several school buildings. The second appointed mayor, Pedro Osvaldo Scheid, served from August 9, 1975, to August 7, 1980, to August 1. During his administration, the LBA, Cebem, and Apae centers were established, new schools were built, a new municipal building was constructed, a television retransmission tower was installed, a quarry was established, and a Banco do Brasil branch was opened.
The third appointed mayor, Carlos Willy Grün, served from August 1, 1980, to January 1, 1986. During this period, a sports gymnasium, the Pioneer Monument, and the Rio Grande do Sul Telecommunications Company (CRT) building were constructed, the Direct Dialing System (DDD) was implemented, the first daycare was built, and the second floor of the municipal government building was completed. After redemocratization, National Security Areas were abolished, and Crissiumal resumed direct elections for mayors. Henrique Ebeling served as mayor from 1986 to 1988, during which time Castelo Branco Avenue was paved, bridges and schools were constructed. Luiz de Rosso served from 1989 to 1992.
Administrative formation Before its colonization, the area belonged to Porto Alegre, then to Rio Pardo in 1809, and to Cachoeira in 1819. and to Espírito Santo de Cruz Alta by 1834. After colonization, it was part of Palmeira das Missões, then called Santo Antônio da Palmeira, and later Três Passos. When part of Palmeira das Missões, Crissiumal was included in its 11th District, headquartered in Santa Teresinha. In 1944, the Crissiumal District was created by State Decree-Law No. 716 of December 28, from parts of the Ivagaci, Três Passos, and Campo Novo districts. In 1954, State Law No. 2553 of December 18 created the municipality of Crissiumal, which separated from Três Passos. In 1955, the districts of Candelária (Municipal Law No. 54, December 12), Esquina Gaúcha (Municipal Law No. 58, December 28), and Planalto (Municipal Law No. 59, December 28) were created, and in 1957, the Lajeado Grande District (Municipal Law No. 179, July 9). In 1959, Crissiumal lost territory due to the emancipation of Humaitá. In 1963, the Candelária District separated to form the municipality of Boa Vista do Buricá. In 1987, Municipal Law No. 851 of December 12 created the Vista Nova District.
Recent history
Henrique Ebeling was re-elected and served as mayor from 1993 to 1996. In 1997, Alvício Pereira Duarte took office and governed until 2000. In 2001, Walter Luiz Heck became mayor, was re-elected, and served until 2008, when Sérgio Drumm took office in 2009, serving until 2012.
In 1998, the Fonte Nova Pact was created to support small-scale farmers in producing raw materials, agro-industrialization, and food production. Alongside the program, the Municipal Inspection Service (SIM) was established, issuing Municipal Inspection Permits to certify the quality and origin of industrialized products. By the end of 2002, the 30 existing agro-industries formed the Cooper Fonte Nova cooperative to strengthen farmers’ activities.
A significant climatic event occurred in Crissiumal on the early morning of June 15, 2005, when hailstones weighing 300 to 500 grams fell, accompanied by winds exceeding 150 km/h. It was the most severe storm and the greatest disaster in the municipality's history. According to the GVces website, "Around 3:30 a.m., entire windows were shattered by ice stones the size of oranges. Holes in roofs gave the impression that Crissiumal had been bombed." Over a third of the city was affected, and there was solidarity from residents and neighboring towns, who aided in rebuilding homes. The Rio Grande do Sul state government sent 600 kg of non-perishable food, 100 blankets, 1,700 pieces of clothing and shoes, ten rolls of tarpaulin, and forage seeds to the municipality. Another event occurred in August 2009 when a storm damaged homes and crops and uprooted trees.
In December 2012, the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Police conducted an operation named Patriota, investigating crimes such as embezzlement, fraud, rigged bidding, overpriced purchases of medicines and construction materials for public works, and diversion of materials from the works yard to buy votes in elections. 110 agents executed 25 search and seizure warrants and 13 arrest warrants.