Entre a arca do sigilo e o tribunal da posteridade : o (não) lugar do presente nas produções do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro

Abstract

This thesis investigates, through the production of the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro between 1838 and 1889, especially its journal, the limits for the writing of present s history in the nineteenth century. The associates, imbued with a speech that sometimes legitimized this practical, considering the relevance of the close association between the institution and the Emperor D. Pedro II, generally disqualified it on favor of a history s modern conception at which the temporal distance, combined with impartiality, was an essential condition to get to the truth of the facts, in addition to the political contingencies of the own time. Therefore, starting from the association s daily analysis it was possible to extracted a sequence of procedures that led to the consideration that the strength of censorship was much bigger than the permissiveness of regarding the treatment of recents facts at this proper time. The use of other sources of research, such as historical memories and autobiographies produced outside the society, as well as analysis of the productions of the Institut Historique of Paris, allowed the enlargement of the question and the conclusion that if it wasn t one single rule which could be guide the historian, even in IHGB, out of this association, the diversity would be even bigger and the problem of contemporary history would be included on it.