Cultura vinda pelos trilhos: a herança cultural dos trabalhadores da Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil em Três Rios/RJ - 1910–1930

Abstract

The Brazilian railway history was marked by a phase of intense construction of railways, trunks and railway branches, between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Associated with these constructions, we had migratory movements and the emergence of villages formed initially by workers on the Railroads, whether in construction, maintenance and employees in general employed in the operation of this structure. Those involved in railway work had their leisure time, however, in locations in the middle of “nowhere”, locations in formation. They created their own entertainment, whether in sports, performing arts, music through civilian music bands. The work presented here is aimed at studying these social/cultural manifestations using the village of Entre-Rios (current city of Três Rios/RJ) as the main object of study through groups such as those already mentioned (bands, theater, soccer clubs) formed directly by workers of the Central do Brasil Railroad. The research aims to contribute to the area of Social History of Culture in the Southeast region of Brazil, through the analysis of the map of the railway route of the Dom Pedro II Railway, later called the Central Railway of Brazil. Therefore, the study is justified because the decisions and actions for its implementation, such as: concepts, objectives, sources of theoretical and documentary research express interest in cultural phenomena. Furthermore, the research focuses on the principles, behaviors and values produced and reproduced by the subjects, and is also a study on the perception of these subjects regarding their cultural, political and ideological manifestations. After all, analyzing the cultural manifestations of workers on the “Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil” means rereading the history of social power, the intertwining between culture and memory through the prism of the experiences and worldview of railway workers. Only through the systematic study of the historical past is it possible to understand some aspects of the present time.