Why is German spoken in a spanish speaking culture such as in La Paz, Bolivia?

Question

Whats the history and why has german stayed in bolivia?

Answer 1

I understand that there is a Mennonite Community in Bolivia. Platdeutsch (low German) is their traditional lingua franca.

As another answerer has said, many Germans emigrated to Bolivia. There are two kinds of exile: the ones who want to forget the past and integrate fully into the community around them and the ones who want to keep the home fires burning in cultural terms and who keep speaking the old language and celebrating old traditions. Bolivia is a country in which there are a number of schools offering bilingual education, as parents feel that this gives their children an extra advantage in the world, and this is another factor which keeps German alive. Many children grow up speaking English and French for the same reason.

Answer 2

After WWII a lot of Nazi's escaped Europe and went to several different South American countries (including Bolivia) to hide. I'm sure that many sympathizers also left Germany after the war.

I'm sure that's only one of many reasons as to why.