The government of the State of Rio announced in an official statement this Monday (6) that the Rio de Janeiro Public Archive (Aperj) will close indefinitely, due to the imminent risk of fire and obsolete structural conditions. The building has an old electrical system and, in addition, does not have an operating license issued by the Fire Department. Such conditions expose employees, collaborators and researchers to serious risks.
The institution’s director, Victor Travanca said that, despite the difficulties, the Public Archives team is already working to make the necessary reforms possible. He stated that the Archive will soon return to its activities, but did not mention a date.
The management also informed that all irregularities found will be forwarded to the Public Ministry and the Courts, so that responsibilities can be determined and the appropriate measures can be taken.
The Public Archive of the State of Rio and Janeiro is one of the institutions responsible for preserving the state’s historical memory. Located on Praia de Botafogo, south of Rio, it has an archive with more than 30 thousand historical pieces. Founded more than 93 years ago, it is dedicated to conserving documents dating back to the 18th century.
Collection
The collection is made up of documents of different genres and supports, such as textual, audiovisual, cartographic, bibliographic, electronic, as well as objects, relevant to the study of history and society in Rio de Janeiro, from the second half of the 18th century onwards.
The most sought after documents for research are those produced by the Political Police of Rio de Janeiro, (POL), such as the collection of the former Department of Political and Social Order of the State of Guanabara (Dops)who acted directly in repression during the military dictatorship, which began in 1964, working together with the military forces of repression.
