The Fortress of São José de Macapá: on the traces of prisons and tortures memories (1964-1973)

Abstract:

Places of memory have been institutionalized as places marked by the State violence and by its concealment due to such occurrence. Thus, this article discusses the use of the Fortress of São José de Macapá - military building from the 18th century in Macapá, capital of Amapá State - as one of the places of memory from the Brazilian dictatorship. After a long period of abandonment, between the 19th century and the establishment of the Federal Territory of Amapá, in 1943, the fortress suffered the first architectural interventions to house the Territorial Guard and, in 1964, it was used as a location aimed at political prisoners. After the gathering of testimonies of dictatorship victims and families by the Truth Comission of Amapá, it was demanded to the fortress of Macapá the institutional use of one of the memory places from that period. These testimonies meet the official memory, highlighting little known historical aspects of that place.

Keywords:
Fortress of São José de Macapá; Truth Commission; Places of Memory