Digitization of Justice court files under authoritarian regimes in Amazonia

Court records from Óbidos, Brazil document the daily life of Amazonian people through several authoritarian regimes from 1900 - 1988, a period of great political and cultural change. Records reveal tensions during a time of restricted rights and Brazil’s engagement in both international issues and projects aimed at “modernizing” Amazonia.

The Universidade Federal do Oeste do Para (UFOPA) in Brazil will digitize the archive of the Court of Justice located in the city of Óbidos, in the Lower Amazon region. The collection covers the end of the so-called “Old Republic” (1900-1930) as well as several authoritarian regimes that followed, including the coup of Getuilio Vargas in 1930 up to the end of the military dictatorship (1964-1988). The materials include printed and handwritten administrative files for civil and criminal trials run by the Pará State Court. A particular point of cultural interest in this collection is the series of documentation on trials regarding land disputes.

Project Details


Location: Brazil, South America, Americas Organiser(s): Modern Endangered Archives Programme (MEAP) Project partner(s): Universidade Federal do Oeste do Para (UFOPA) (Brazil); Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: $50,000.00 Commencement Date: 05/2021 Project Status: Active
Project owner? Update this project



Related Projects

Arcadia Logo high res

Documenting the contemporary history of science in India

To collect, preserve and make available online endangered cultural artefacts related to the contemporary (~200 years) history of science in South Asia. It will also develop a …

Explore project
Arcadia Logo high res

Digital Preservation of Kerala Archives

To survey and digitize some of the most important collections of palm-leaf manuscripts in the Thrissur and Ernakulam districts, Kerala, India in both institutional and family …

Explore project
Arcadia Logo high res

Mapping Archaeological Pre-Columbian Heritage in South America

To produce an integrated public access database for the pre-Columbian archaeological heritage of South America, focussing on Brazil and Colombia.

Explore project