Quilmes | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Quilmes Location inGreater Buenos Aires | |
| Coordinates:34°43′00″S58°16′00″W / 34.71667°S 58.26667°W /-34.71667; -58.26667 | |
| Country |  Argentina |
| Province | Buenos Aires Province |
| Partido | Quilmes |
| Founded | 1666 |
| Declared city | 1916 |
| Government | |
| • Intendant | Mayra Mendoza (Union for the Homeland) |
| Elevation | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (ART) |
| CPA Base | B 1878, B 1879 |
| Area code | +54 11 |
| Website | www.quilmes.gov.ar |
Quilmes (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈkilmes]) is a city on the coast of theRio de la Plata, in theprovince ofBuenos Aires, Argentina, on the southeast end of theGreater Buenos Aires, being some 17 km (11 mi) away from the urban centre area ofBuenos Aires. The city was founded in 1666 and is the seat of theeponymouspartido (district).
TheQuilmes were a native tribe who lived in the surroundings ofTucumán. In the 17th century, after repeated attempts by the Spanish invaders to control their lands, the Quilmes were defeated and were forced to settle in a restricted colony (reducción) nearBuenos Aires, where the authorities could control them. The settlement was thus established in 1666 asExaltación de la Santa Cruz de los Kilme. The 1,000 km (621 mi) journey from Tucumán was made on foot, causing hundreds of Quilmes to die in the process. The colony had been abandoned by 1810 and had become aghost town. The land was divided in parcels and the town of Quilmes was established in 1818, which would later flourish during the wave of immigration in late 19th-century Argentina.[2]
During the firstBritish invasion, lasting 46 days in 1806, the British arrived fromMontevideo through Quilmes and went to Buenos Aires from there before being defeated and expelled.
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Quilmes was also inhabited by British immigrants. Juan Clark, born inYorkshire, England, was president of the municipality in 1855.[3] The Clark' were owners of land in Quilmes, and were linked to theIrish andScottish community, established in the area since 1830s.[4]
In 1898 was established in the area theSt. George's College, a private educational institution run by the ReverendJoseph Thomas Stevenson.[5]
The town's development accelerated during the wave ofimmigration in Argentina during the late 19th century, and Quilmes was considered as the location for a new provincial capital during theFederalization of Buenos Aires of 1880 (ultimately established inLa Plata). TheArgentine Air Force established a 220 ha (540 acre) base in East Quilmes in 1943. In 1944, Impa (Industria Metallurgica y Plastica Argentina) opened Argentina's first airplane plant at Quilmes. Impa had been blacklisted by the United States government due to its connections to Nazi-occupied Austria and fascist figures within Argentina itself. The airplanes were considered of "antiquated design" according to the New York Times.
Quilmes proper consists of two main parts, east and west, which are divided by the tracks of theMetropolitano passenger train line. East Quilmes has several relatively wealthy areas and a large shopping district. As one travels east toward theRío de la Plata, neighborhoods become increasingly poor, and two largevillas miseria (slums) are found close to the river. These areas often experience severeflooding.
Quilmes is the home of twofootball teams:Quilmes Atlético Club andClub Atlético Argentino de Quilmes. The first was founded in the 19th century by Cannon J. T. Stevenson, and the second one was founded later, by Argentines who were not allowed to play for the QAC. They are two of the oldest Argentine football teams. The city has been chosen byFIH to host the2014 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy.
The city also gives its name to theCerveza Quilmes beer company, as this is where it was first brewed in 1888 where the brewery was started byOtto Bemberg; the establishment remains a leading employer in the city. Other significant manufacturers in Quilmes include textile maker La Bernalesa, glass maker Cattorini, construction materials maker Cerámica Quilmes, and climate control equipment makerRheem.
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