On route 7 into the heart of Patagonia | DW Documentary

A trip along Chile’s National Route 7, the Carretera Austral, takes us into the stunning wilderness of Patagonia - a place that many German emigrants chose as their new home almost a century ago. The Carretera Austral is straddled by mountain ranges, primeval forests, fjords, volcanoes and a huge ice field. It has taken decades to carve its way through the almost impassable terrain - even now a lot of traffic is forced to take a detour across the border into Argentina. The military dictator Augusto Pinochet made the construction of the road a national priority in the 1970s, sending thousands of soldiers to the region to work under the most adverse conditions. One of the last surviving members of Pinochet s junta, former military police chief Rodolfo Stange, talks about the road’s strategic importance for the regime. German marine biologist Vreni Häussermann tells us about a catastrophe in one of the Patagonian fjords - an event that underlines how economic expansion along the route has adversely affected the natural environment in southern Chile. On our journey we meet descendants of German emigrants who found a new home in Patagonia’s remote vastness after the First World War. An insight into the past and present of this unique region. -------------------------------------------------------------------- DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch high-class documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary. Subscribe to DW Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW39zufHfsuGgpLviKh297Q?sub_confirmation=1# Our other YouTube channels: DW Documental (in spanish): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumental DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو: (in arabic): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocarabia For more documentaries visit also: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dw.stories DW netiquette policy: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G