A constituição do Núcleo de Memória Engenheiro Francisco Martins Bastos – NUME (1994-2014).

Abstract

This research was focused on the constitution of the Memory Center Engineer Francisco Martins Bastos – NUME at the Federal University of Rio Grande – FURG. NUME had its genesis in 1994, when celebrating the 25th foundation anniversary of FURG, through an Extension Project that held an exhibition with documents and objects that told the history of the Institution, then becoming an University historical museum in 1999, on the occasion of FURG’s 30th anniversary. The creation of NUME was grounded on the motivation by some of the University employees, among active and retired ones. NUME is aimed to preserve the memory and the history of FURG. Therefore, this dissertation aims to analyze both the genesis of the Memory Center as an extension project and its institutionalization process as a historical museum of the University, as well as to investigate how its space contributes to the memory, history and identity of FURG (1994-2014). The research included a documental corpus formed by FURG’s official documents and interviews with employees involved in the creation of NUME. The official documents investigated were: Resolutions, Deliberations, Extension Projects of FURG’s 25th and 30th anniversary exhibitions, Records of the University Council, and the Institutional Development Plan (2015- 2018). Seven interviews were conducted, produced with the Oral History Methodology. The documental corpus analysis enabled the assessment of three categories: memory, identity, and school material culture. Analyses showed relevance of celebratory trigger existence, that is, commemorative dates as motivation towards the concern of memory preservation. Regarding the employees who created NUME, the aspiration for sharing their years of university career lived in the institution was observed, as well as the desire to preserve the University memory for future generations. These employees were found to have identity bonds with the institution, but the same was not noticed with regard to the younger employees, since among other reasons the memory nominal content was not transferred to future generations. Identity is strictly associated with the memory, the objects, the documents, and these are related to the memory spaces that also evoke the individual or collective memory. NUME is an example of this, which was evident in the narratives by the interviewed people, when recalling past events (memory) and meaning these with their individual identity based on the group they belong to. In conclusion, it is possible to say that, although there is a discourse, an intentionality of memory at FURG, in practice, however, there is no strategy of institutional memory implemented and thus the museum does not fulfill its purpose of creation.