capital of the Araucanía Region grew into Cencosud, one of the largest businesses in the region. Even before the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933, a German Chilean youth organization was established with strong Nazi influence. Nazi Germany pursued a policy of Nazification of the German Chilean community. These communities and their organizations were considered a cornerstone to extend the Nazi ideology across the world by Nazi Germany. Most German Chileans were passive supporters of Nazi Germany. Nazism was widespread among the German Lutheran Church hierarchy in Chile. A local chapter of the Nazi Party was started in Chile. During World War II, many German Jews fled to Chile before and during the Holocaust. For example, the families of Mario Kreutzberger and Tomás Hirsch came to Chile during this time. Shortly after World War II, former members of Nazi Germany tried to take refuge in South America, including Chile, fleeing trials against them in Europe and elsewhere. Among these was SS Standartenführer and war criminal Walter Rauff. Paul Schäfer, a former army medic, founded Colonia Dignidad, a German enclave in the Maule Region, in which abuses against human rights were allegedly carried out. The precise number of Nazi refugees hidden in Chile after WWII remains unknown. German Chileans today The exact number of Chileans of German descent is unknown but one source puts the number at about 500,000, living mostly in the central and southern portions of the country. According to the last census, there were 8,000 German citizens living in Chile. An estimated 20,000 Chileans speak the German language. There are also German schools and German-language newspapers and periodicals in Chile (e.g., Cóndor – a weekly German-language newspaper). Education German schools: Deutsche Schule Sankt Thomas Morus Santiago Deutsche Schule Santiago Deutsche Schule Concepción Deutsche Schule Valdivia Deutsche Schule Valparaiso Historic German schools: Deutsche Schule Chillán Deutsche Schule Frutillar Deutsche Schule La Serena Deutsche Schule La Unión Deutsche Schule Los Ángeles Deutsche Schule Osorno Deutsche Schule Puerto Montt Deutsche Schule Puerto Varas Deutsche Schule Punta Arenas Deutsche Schule San Felipe Deutsche Schule Temuco Deutsche Schule Villarrica Deutsche Schule Los Leones und Wilh.-v.-Humboldt-Seminar für Lehrer und Kindergärtnerinnen Colegio Chileno-Aleman de Macul Liceo Aleman (Santiago) Colegio Santa Ursula (Santiago) Instituto Santa Maria (Santiago) Colegio Mariano (Santiago) Deutsche Marienschule Santiago-La Florida Deutsche Schule Santiago-Nuñoa Deutsche Schule Ancud-Chiloe Instituto Aleman Frutillar Deutsche Schule Gorbea Deutsche Schule Llanquihue Escuela Aleman Huefel-Comuy (Paja-Maisan) Deutsche Schule Paillaco