Lecture addressed transnational memory of the Dutch
Photo: Thais Gonçalves
PUCRS opened its doors to graduate student from University of Tilburg, Netherlands, Renate Stapelbroek, for a conference entitled Netherlands – Brazil: Forming a culture of translational memory by Dutch transmigrants in Brazil and of Brazil (1948 – 2018) on Jun 27. The event was sponsored by the Superintendence of the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) of Rio Grande do Sul, in partnership with the School of Humanities , the Office of International Cooperation and the Dutch Association of Não-Me-Toque.
Transnational Dutch culture
The gap between history and memory and the past of migration were among the topics that were addressed. Renate, whose research is based on oral history, introduced an analysis of what people consider important to remember, how they handle their memories (memory as emotion) and how, in a group, they produce identity in an imaginary community (memories as identity).
The way in which the Dutch transmigrants (those who left the Netherlands, settled in Brazil and returned to the Netherlands) deal with their past of migration was discussed, too. This included testimonials of Dutch and their descendants and how the “Dutch attitude” is cultivated in two different ways. The first way is immaterial, and is represented through celebrations and cuisine. For instance, the King Koningsdag Day and the game Zeskamp, which brings together the six Dutch Brazilian colonies every six years: Holambra I, Holambra II, Arapoti, Carambeí, Castrolanda and Não-me-Toque. The second one is material, and is represented through museums and monuments, dance groups and drama.
Field research
Renate came to Brazil in 2016 and came back in 2018 to continue working on a field investigation in the Dutch colonies of Brazil. One of the outcomes of her research is to reflect upon how the transnational identity is formed and what are the cultural elements that are necessary to keep the “Dutch attitude” alive in the Netherlands and in Brazil.
She, the professors from the Graduate Program in History, Dr Antonio de Ruggiero and Dr Claudia Musa Fay, representatives of IPHAN and of the Dutch Association of Não-Me-Toque were welcomed by the New Business and Negotiation specialist, Dr Maria Elisabete Haase-Möllmann at the Office of International Cooperation.
