Entre a memória e o esquecimento: os campos de concentração no Ceará durante as secas de 1915 e 1932.

Abstract

Although memory and forgetfulness are inherent activities of the human psyche, when considered in the collective context, they emerge as objects of interest and control by certain groups. Based on this premise, the present work aims to analyze the conflicts surrounding the construction of the memory of the Concentration Camps established in Ceará during the droughts of 1915 and 1932. Using the concepts of memory and forgetfulness, coined by Enrique Serra Padrós and Peter Burke, respectively, an interpretation is developed regarding the use and misuse of these concepts as tools in consolidating the interests of the dominant class over the meanings attributed to this episode. To achieve this, the study relies on historiographical works on the subject, as well as on the use of contemporary newspapers and regional literature from the time, particularly the novel O Quinze by the writer Rachel de Queiroz. Moreover, the research sought to understand the interests and the individuals involved in the creation and consolidation of the memory of this tragic episode in the history of droughts in northeastern Brazil.