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(1959 – 2024)
Credit:
Courtesy of the Grupo A Hora
Jorge Luiz da Cunha
Jorge Luiz da Cunha, a Brazilian historian and one of the leading authorities on the historiography of German immigration in Brazil, passed away on September 23, 2024, at the age of 65, at the Hospital Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz do Sul, due to a neurological illness discovered earlier in the year. With hundreds of published works, Cunha was recognized for his contributions to the historiography of German immigration and colonization, leaving a significant legacy for the study of foreign immigration in Brazil. His life and work were dedicated to studying migration processes and their influence on the construction of cultural identity in Rio Grande do Sul.
Born in Roca Sales on July 11, 1959, Dr. Cunha resided in Lajeado and served as a tenured professor at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), where he worked in the Department of Education Foundations and in the Graduate Programs in History and Education. Cunha held a PhD in Medieval and Modern Contemporary History from the University of Hamburg, Germany, with a thesis titled Rio Grande do Sul und die Deutsche Kolonisation: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Deutsch-brasilianischen Auswanderung und der Deutschen Siedlung in Südbrasilien zwischen 1824 und 1914, which addresses the history of German colonization in Brazil from 1824 to the beginning of World War I. Throughout his academic career, Cunha had the opportunity to access previously unexplored sources and revisit archives and libraries in Germany, which allowed him to make significant contributions to migration studies.
His work Imigração e Identidade Familiar released in 2020, became a key reference in the study of autobiographical and familial narratives of immigrants. In addition, Dr. Cunha published a series of significant works that addressed topics ranging from historical education to the impact of immigration on social formation, as seen in Educação Histórica e Narrativas Autobiográficas and Escrever Histórias para Convencer os Outros. He also played a crucial role in the production of the series “Da Alemanha aos Vales: A História de um Povo que Transpassa Gerações,” which focuses on German colonization in Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to his academic contributions, Cunha collaborated on reports for the bicentennial of German immigration in Rio Grande do Sul, providing sources, readings, and guidance in municipalities such as São Leopoldo and Lajeado.
He was also awarded the Prêmio Açorianos de Literatura in 2004 and was inducted into the Literary Academy of Vale do Taquari (ALIVAT), holding Chair No. 2 since 2022. Jorge Luiz da Cunha was also an active member of the Rotary Club of Lajeado Engenho, contributing to numerous community projects.
The loss of Jorge Luiz da Cunha is immeasurable for the academic community, particularly in the field of German immigration studies in Brazil. His pioneering work and unique contributions not only expanded knowledge of immigration history but also inspired generations of researchers. His academic legacy and unwavering commitment to the preservation and dissemination of historical memory will continue to serve as a reference and inspiration for future studies and research. The historiography of immigration has lost one of its greatest voices, but the impact of his discoveries and teachings will live on for many years.
Luciana Sanguiné, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
