Memórias perdidas e exílio histórico

o gênero biográfico como instrumento questionador das imposições do passado

Abstract

Minas Gerais has had several political and social fights since the colonial period and as a result of such events a historical construction has been established through the voices of the winners. Nevertheless, the remaining of memories of those defeated and forgotten has persisted. Historical memory can be selective due to different motivations and the biographical gender makes it possible to find out something about such selectivity, among other possibilities of its use. On dealing with the transition period between Monarchy and Republic, these fights produced other vanquished and defeated people. Among those whose memories have been erased, there is an active entrepreneur between 1880/1930: Carlos G. da Costa Wigg. This article intends to demonstrate a case of biographical research through which many recent discussions about the aspects of memory and forgetness perpass. This is a unique event in the history of the state of Minas Gerais, whose biographical aspects can certainly contribute with new reading in several areas of the history of the state.