A memória histórica e cultural do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico de Caxias, Maranhão – IHGC (2003 – 2022)

Abstract

The research under the title The Historical and Cultural Memory of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Caxias – IHGC was initiated not only to legitimize the theme that names it, but mainly to consider the participation of the IHGC in promoting research and its cultural production about the history of the city of Caxias-Maranhão. The research aims: I - General: research the historical, cultural memory and social historical context of the IHGC and its importance for the municipality, since the period of its foundation, in the time frame (2003 to 2022) and II - Specific: analyze the historical and social context in which the IHGC operates, from its foundation to the present day, identifying the intentions that enabled its creation and its importance as a repository of local heritage; raise existing collections at IHGC; analyze, based on the documentary survey, how the intellectual production, the bibliographic and photographic collection, the activities and events carried out by and at the IHGC can be used to build a history and memory of Caxias; identify how studies produced in the context of IHGC are made available to Caxias society; constitute the history of the IHGC, with openness to a total institutional history. In this way, we sought to highlight its origin, until its consolidation, as an institution that remains, through a joint effort of a group of Caxians, historians, geographers, teachers, journalists, researchers from different professional areas. To construct this research, it was necessary to engage theoretically and methodologically with several authors, especially those closest to the field of Cultural History, but not only, such as Langlois and Seignobos (1946), Lucien Febvre (1953), Le Goff ( 1990), Nora, (1993), Halbwacs (1990), Chartier, (1990), Pollak, (1992), Burke, (2005), Bourdieu (2018) among others. We also used written sources, institutional documents and oral sources, which would allow us to advance the purpose of building this institutional memory. In order to interpret them, this thesis brought together several files: photos, newspapers, works, paintings, magazines, material and immaterial assets, their tangible and intangible heritage. The list of founding, effective, corresponding, honorary, meritorious, living and deceased members and their respective biographies were presented; illustrated about the historical, political and social context of Caxias-MA, through the scientific and cultural production of a large part of its members about the city and its people; with their criticisms, discussions, demands in favor of Caxias’s heritage. In the construction of the IHGC's institutional memory, the historical and embryonic legacy of the Maranhão Historical and Geographical Institute and the setting in which its official headquarters is located, the old Caxias train station, were intertwined.