Abstract

The article analyzes the presence of the Bavarian Capuchin missionaries in the Araucanía between 1896 and 1929. The period indicates the installation of the order in the indigenous frontier during the expansion of the Chilean State through the reduction policy on indigenous lands. In this context, the reflection focuses on the intercultural relations produced between the Capuchin missionaries and the Mapuche people through missionary education. As state agents, they were recognized as immigrants, and promoted ideas from the Western world. This research qualifies this vision reproduced by historiography, highlighting the intercultural effort of the Bavarian Capuchin missionaries.