Oberá
City
Flag
Oberá Location of Oberá in Misiones Province and Argentina Show map of Misiones Province Oberá Oberá (Argentina) Show map of Argentina
Coordinates:27°29′S55°8′W / 27.483°S 55.133°W /-27.483; -55.133
Country	Argentina
Province	Misiones
Department	Oberá
Government
• Intendant	Pablo Alberto Hassan
Area
• Total	155 km2 (60 sq mi)
Elevation	298 m (978 ft)
Population  (2010 census)
• Total	63,960
• Density	410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−3 (ART)
CPA base	N3360
Dialing code	+54 3755
Website	Official website

Oberá, formerlySvea, is a city in theinterfluvial province ofMisiones, Argentina, and the head town of theOberá Department. It is located 96 km east of the provincial capitalPosadas, onNational Route 14, and about 1,150 km north ofBuenos Aires. It has 63,960 inhabitants according to the 2010census[INDEC].

Oberá is the second city in size and importance of the province, and the core of theSierras Centrales region. The area is a colorful landscape, with luxurious vegetation, streams, cascades and hilly areas. Oberá is also the educational and cultural capital of the central region of the province, with availability of universities and colleges (such as theNational University of Misiones). Its economy is based on agriculture and industry.

The local culture is marked by European influences, since the area was settled by numerous colonies ofimmigrants, starting in 1897.

Oberá is also known as the "City of the Churches", since it features more than 30 churches, belonging to a diversity of denominations (including Eastern and Western Catholic rites, Eastern Orthodox, and several Evangelical/Protestant churches). On June 13, 2009, Oberá was made the see of the newly erectedRoman Catholic Diocese of Oberá. The latter was created with territory carved out from theDiocese of Posadas.

In addition to the many churches, other tourist sites include:

• Jardín de los Pájaros (Birds' Garden), showcasing more than 200species of birds.
• Monteaventura, a recreational estate with ecological footpaths and games.
• Salto Berrondo (Berrondo Waterfall), a forest area with camping facilities.
• Reserva del Chachí, a nature reserve near the city, featuringchachís (giantferns).
• Centro Zootoxicológico, with a diversity ofreptiles, including one of the largestserpentaries in the country.
• Oberá Park, a summer recreation center.
• Parque de las Naciones (Park of the Nations), devoted to typical houses of the immigrant communities.
• Historic and Natural Sciences Museum
• Casa de la Cultura' (Culture House), with exhibitions of diverse artists.

Other attractions include visits to small farms and plantations, including those ofyerba mate andtea, the major products of Misiones.

Oberá has a very warmhumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) and is alongsideBernardo de Irigoyen the wettest city in Argentina, with an average annual rainfall of around 2,300 millimetres or 90 inches. The climate features hot, oppressive summers and warm winters, with regular spells of heavy rain from the advection of hot tropical air poleward by the western side of the South Atlanticsubtropical anticyclone.

The city is home to theOberá Tenis Club, a multi-sports club which is especially known for its professional basketball department. The team plays its home games at theEstadio Oberá Tenis Club.Autódromo Ciudad de Oberá is also based in this city.

In 1913, a group of immigrants, most of them Swedish, founded it, drawing inspiration for its name from avalkyrie or escudera [female warrior] (mother Svea) belonging to an ancient tradition in the history ofSweden.

The territory where Svea was founded had originally been largely populated by nomadic indigenous peoples, and it belonged to the province ofCorrientes until the province of Misiones was federalized in 1891. The province is located in the northeast of Argentina and has very particular geographical features, among which the jungle areas and theIguazu River stand out. The Iguazu River flows north into the famous Iguazu Falls, which were declared aWorld Heritage Site and are located about 300 kilometers away from the north of the city of Oberá.

The colonies founded by immigrants in Misiones were set up between the end of 1890 and at the beginning of the 20th century (Azara andApóstoles), where Austro-Polish immigrants fromGalitzia settled down. These immigrants came through Buenos Aires. In 1907, Bonpland in Misiones was founded by Finnish immigrants (also coming through Buenos Aires) who were granted fiscal lots, after a delegation of that nationality visited the site in 1905.

"In January 1906, a decree promoted agricultural colonization in this area, 50 square leagues between Cerro Corá, Bonpland and properties of Roca and Dávila, giving origin to the colony Yerbal Viejo. Although it was designed for the settlement of the Finns, Swedish families also went there looking for better crop lands, and then immigrants of other nationalities joined them."^[3]

In 1910 and 1911,Brazil organized the installation of a settlement plan for Swedish immigrants inRio Grande do Sul, which subsequently failed due to flooding in 1911. Therefore, many immigrants arriving in the country moved to the south of Misiones. It was that group of Swedes that contributed the most to the founding of Oberá.^[4]

In 1913, also as a result of the failure of the settlement in Brazil, a group of immigrants, most of them Swedish, began to cross over from Brazil. They crossed theMato Grosso forest looking for the territory of Misiones in the south. Many of the immigrants died in the attempt.

"My grandfather left Stockholm in 1892 with a group of Swedish people. They were bewildered because it was America and when they arrived in here they were greatly disappointed. They came here from Brazil through what they called the path of death, led by my grandfather, and after traveling many kilometers, without roads or anything, they settled here. They worked hard; they did not even know how to feed themselves. They began to build their houses and to work on the hill, since this area was a virgin forest. They had to start from scratch."

"There was nothing, only forest. Actually, there was something. They had to deal with the forest, the heat, the insects and a lot of deprivation. Sometimes, whole families died. There were no medicines, there was nothing. Besides, no one knew the language. They had to meet and talk to each other: Swedish, Finns and some Norwegians and Danish."^[5]

Thus, the fortunate group that managed to make it there, most of them Swedish, were able to settle the site and build the first farms, giving origin to the colony and later the city of Svea. The first families that arrived between 1913 and 1915 were the families of Hermann Kallsten, Aldolfo Lindstrom, and Carlos Pettersson.

Subsequently, more families from other nationalities joined them and the city was created with the name of Svea. Danes, French, Norwegians, and eventually Ukrainians, Finns, Russians, Germans, English, and Lebanese immigrants joined them before and after World War I and World War II.

In 1927, the Argentinian government decided to change the name of the Svea to Oberá, as it is known today. Oberá was officially founded on 9 July 1928. Its name was taken from a renownedaboriginal chief, and it means "bright, shining". More than 15 national/ethnic communities of people descended from immigrants coexist, maintaining their legacy and traditions. On the first fortnight of September every year they celebrate this diversity with theImmigrant's Festival.

• Eliana Krawczyk (1982–2017), Argentine Navy officer
• Rodolfo Fischer (1944-2020), footballer
• Diego Hartfield (born 1981), stockbroker and tennis player
• Marcos Martínez (born 1977), actor and comedian
• Sebastián Meza (born 2000), footballer
• Mario Noremberg (born 1962), footballer
• Carlos Okulovich (born 1985), car racer
• Hugo Passalacqua (born 1957), former governor of Misiones

Wikimedia Commons has media related toOberá.

• Official website
• Oberá Online
• Press article about Oberá City and documentary (in Spanish only)
• Fiesta del Inmigrante (Immigrant's Festival official website)

• Abínzano, Roberto / Proceso de integración de una sociedad multiétnica: la provincia Argentina de Misiones. El frente extractivo. – s.l.: Universidad de Sevilla, 1985 – Tesis de Doctorado – T. 1 – INV.: 1472G.
• Bartolomé, Leopoldo J. / Colonias y colonizadores en Misiones. – Posadas: UnaM, 1982 – INV.: 1204G.
• Flodell, Gunvor / Misiones svenska : sprakbevarande och sprakpaverkan i en sydamerikansk talgemenskap. – Uppsala: Institutionen for Nordiska Sprak, 1986 – INV.: 324G.
• Gallardo, Carlos R. / Territorio Nacional de Misiones: colonización austro-polaco, su comienzo, desarrollo y situación actual. – Buenos Aires: J. Peuser, 1903 – INV.: 153G, 260G y 1018G.
• Glatz, Markus / Schweizerische einwanderer in Misiones. – Frankfurt: Lang, 1997 – INV: 325G.
• Schiavoni, Angela Perie / La colonización en Misiones: contexto internacional, nacional y sus antecedentes. – Posadas: UnaM, 1985 – INV: 297G.
• Archivo General de la Nación. Archivos de tierras y colonias, CAJAS 2 y 3
• Gori, Gastón. Inmigración y colonización en la Argentina, Buenos Aires, EUDEBA, 4° edición. 1983
• Cortés Conde, Roberto. El progreso argentino, Buenos Aires, Editorial Sudamericana. 1979
• Memorias del Ministerio de Agricultura (Argentina)
• The Immigration, Colección de Arte y Memoria Audiovisual. Jorge Luis Farjat - Graciela Swiderski. Buenos Aires. 1999.
• The Creation (History of Svea) La Creación (Historia de Svea). Audiovisual. Jorge Luis Farjat. 1998.
• Bartolomé, Leopoldo. Colonias y asentamientos en Misiones. Posadas. UNAM. 1982.

• Oberá
• Populated places in Misiones Province
• Populated places established in 1928
• 1928 establishments in Argentina
• Cities in Argentina

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Commons category link from Wikidata