Gisele Bundchen is from Southern Brazil, a region whose population is largely composed of Brazilians of German descent. Bundchen is of German ancestry from both sides of her family, which is integrated in Brazilian society for many generations: her great-great-grandparents immigrated to Brazil from Germany. In regards to her ethnic background, Bundchen said:
“ I was born in Horizontina, a town in the backcountry of (Brazilian) state Rio Grande do Sul. The town was once mainly colonized by Germans. In the school which I attended, learning German was actually obligatory from third grade on. But being out of touch with the language for such a long time, I unfortunately forgot it. I belong to the sixth generation of my family in Brazil. ”
“ I was born in Horizontina, a town in the backcountry of (Brazilian) state Rio Grande do Sul. The town was once mainly colonized by Germans. In the school which I attended, learning German was actually obligatory from third grade on. But being out of touch with the language for such a long time, I unfortunately forgot it. I belong to the sixth generation of my family in Brazil. ”