The “right to memory:” the eunice weaver school, individual memory, and creating a historical archive in Goiás

Abstract

This article describes the construction of a documentary archive for the Eunice Weaver School, part of the Educandário/Preventório Afrânio de Azevedo Training Complex (inaugurated in Goiânia in 1943). We stress the importance of creating similar archives to provide access to the memories of those subjected to policies related to preventing Hansen’s disease (leprosy). The documentation covers the period 1945-1990, depicting the everyday lives of blameless children who were institutionalized as part of state policies to prevent this disease. The material is regionally focused, expanding the number of known sources for the history of institutions and this disease in the state of Goiás, and served as a potential resource for patients attempting to gain release.