2013 - Global Studies: Culture/Nature

Cape Verde. Santiago Island 2013

Culture/Nature in the Global Studies

under the perspective of euro-brazilian Studies

ANNALS

2013

Studies of cultural processes in global contexts
using Euro-Brazilian relations as a frame of reference

The year 2013 in studies focused on the relationship between Culture and Nature or the environment in global contexts began with reflections and studies in Berlin on the occasion of the Union Europea-CELAC 2013 Summit. Relations between Germany and Latin America, particularly Brazil, were addressed through a reinterpretation of the literature, which required the gathering and consideration of rare or forgotten publications. Among the aspects considered, issues related to the perception of Brazil in Germany at different times, the image and representation of Brazil in diplomacy and in colonization projects were highlighted. Among the German-Brazilian undertakings and their environmental implications, those related to the São Francisco region in the 19th century and the interior of São Paulo in the 20th century were considered, among others.

Three main programs of observations, meetings, and studies were carried out in Cape Verde, the Baltic, and Turkey.The Culture/Nature relationship in the history and present of the islands of São Vicente and Santiago, their settlement, and their interactions with Europe and the American continent were the focus. From the perspective of cultural studies in global contexts, particular consideration was given to Cape Verdean dance and music traditions in their relations with Brazil. The links between Cape Verdean and Brazilian thinkers and researchers of traditions were to be updated and intensified. The program of studies and colloquia was made possible by the support of government agencies, universities, and museums, and was the result of previous meetings with Cape Verdean immigrants in Europe.

The Germany-Brazil theme in global studies of 2013 continued in the "Amber" project, where attention was directed primarily to the Baltic and Pomerania regions, leading to study sessions in Eastern European countries. Here too, bibliographic studies and dialogues focused mainly on issues of colonization. Conceptions from past colonial studies, particularly those concerning the acclimatization of Europeans in the tropics, were discussed. Transatlantic relations in German colonial history, particularly between present-day Namibia and Santa Catarina, were given particular consideration. Issues of acclimatization from an environmental perspective were addressed, especially in relation to colonies in Brazil. Among the topics discussed, those relating to identity and feelings of "Germanness" among colonists, in their political and cultural implications, stood out.

A larger cycle of studies was dedicated to Turkey, particularly Cappadocia, from the perspective of Euro-Brazilian studies. Attention was focused primarily on conceptions and images of worldviews and humankind of ancient origins that have persisted through the centuries, present in hagiography and the cult of saints. The main focus of studies on culturally oriented religious traditions was Saint George. Connections were established with the Amber Project in Eastern Europe, where Saint George is particularly venerated, assuming emblematic characteristics. Studies in Turkey considered aspects of Islamic mysticism in its relationship with Christian mysticism and its cultural implications, including aspects of the symbolism of musical instruments. Relationships between Turkish and Brazilian personalities in Turkish-French and Turkish-Austrian contexts in the 20th century were also addressed.

The celebration of Marseille as European Capital of Culture in 2013 prompted a series of studies in France. These studies focused primarily on the relationship between Culture and Nature in different contexts, particularly those concerning water in thermal spas and their repercussions in Brazil. In nature reserves, among others in the Cévennes region, environmental protection issues in France and Brazil were addressed. Among the various aspects of the Franco-Brazilian studies, those relating to Brazilian studies in France, as well as the missionary history of the 19th century, stood out.

The year concluded in Danzig, where studies related to German-Brazilian relations and the Baltic Amber Project were interconnected. Eastern Europe and regions of Central and Northern Europe were primarily addressed from the perspective of studies on the relationship between Culture and Nature in science, culture, and the arts within global contexts. A particularly considered work was Georg Markgraf's *Historia Naturalis Brasiliae*. The work of E. Hildebrand shaped studies concerning the image of Brazil and the interactions arising from travels around the world in the 19th century. These issues were revisited in Berlin, considering Th. K. Grünberg's watercolor treatment of photographs of indigenous people in the Uaupés region.