Estratégias para a preservação do germanismo (Deutschtum) : gênese e trajetória de um collegio teutobrasileiro urbano em Pelotas (1898-1942).

Abstract

The dissertation entitled “Strategies for Preservation of the Germanism (Deutschtum): Genesis and Trajectory of one Urban German-Brazilian School of Pelotas (1898-1942)” was developed at the mastership course in Education, in line of History of the Education, of Education Faculty of Pelotas, of the Federal University of Pelotas. Regarding to the methodology, this investigation was developed in a quantum-qualitative way, through bibliographic and documental researches, as well as interviews, focusing on a descriptive aspect. The German School of Pelotas was urban, private, of primary and secondary education, for boys and girls. It was founded in 1898, by a scholastic society, whose members were German immigrants and German-Brazilian, industry owners and traders who formed a small bourgeoisie, of which, most belonged to the German Evangelic Community of Pelotas, being supported by the Rio-Grandense Synod. However, this profile was changed in order to expand the total germanism. Despite being an overwhelmingly ethnic institution, it was not characterized as an evangelic school and accepted Brazilian students as well as of other nationalities and religious denominations. This investigation answers the following question “why and what for was the German School founded in Pelotas?”, starting from two hypothesis: the German School was established in Pelotas having in view the conservation of the germanism, for a political and economical reason; and the conservation of the germanism would only reach its objetctive if it had continuity. The specific objective of this research was to analyse the logus, constituted by the germanism, passed on through the German language, circulation vehicle of an ethos, in a locus, that is the educative institution. This ethos was transmitted in the teaching and learning relation through the German language, and aimed at the development of a student profile from the specific world view evidenced by a logus denominated germanism, having the urban German- Brazilian School – German School of Pelotas - as locus. This is evidenced through the analyses of the curriculum and the syllabus presented by two School Reports of the German School of 1913 and 1923. In that period, the school was formed by a teaching body of high erudition level, with authors of regionally published school books. The German language was predominant in 1913. Ten years later, in 1923, the German language continued being dominant, but the reflex of the nationalization of the Education were noticed with the consolidation of the Portuguese language in the curriculum of this institution. The German School of Pelotas existed in Pelotas for 44 years and represented the effort made by a group of German immigrants and German-Brazilians to enshrine the cultural memory of their ethnic roots.