under ▁for ▁the ▁Company . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁Sch ä f fer ▁became ▁an ▁agent ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Brazil ▁and ▁rec ru ited ▁thousands ▁of ▁German ▁em igr ants , ▁the ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁German ▁Brazil ian ▁community , ▁for ▁res ett lement ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Georg ▁Anton ▁Sch ä f fer ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁ ▁Mün ner stadt , ▁Bav aria ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁January ▁ 1 7 7 9 ▁, ▁in ▁the ▁Fran con ia ▁region ▁, ▁as ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁dist illery ▁owner ▁. ▁He ▁studied ▁medicine ▁at ▁Wür zburg ' s ▁Julius sp ital ▁College ▁of ▁Medicine . ▁He ▁joined ▁Imperial ▁Russian ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁sur geon , ▁serving ▁in ▁Moscow ▁before ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁During ▁the ▁Napoleon ' s ▁invasion ▁of ▁Russia ▁( 1 8 1 2 ) ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁Fr ant z ▁Le pp ich ' s ▁ill - f ated ▁combat ▁bal lo on ▁project . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁ship ▁sur geon ▁on ▁board ▁the ▁Su vor ov . ▁Dis ag re ements ▁with ▁the ▁captain ▁prompt ed ▁Sch ä f fer ▁to ▁dis emb ark ▁the ▁ship ▁in ▁New ▁Arch angel ▁( present ▁day ▁Sit ka , ▁Al aska ). ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁Russian - American ▁Company , ▁Alexander ▁Bar an ov , ▁who ▁also ▁happened ▁to ▁be ▁at ▁odd s ▁with ▁Su vor ov