This reflection is part of a series titled The Big Ideas, where writers explore the question: What is history?
I penned these words soon after September 2, 2018 — a date etched deeply into my memory.
On that day, a devastating fire ravaged the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. For those engaged in the country’s cultural sector, it was the embodiment of a feared catastrophe. The museum’s vulnerabilities were well-known: decades of inadequate maintenance left the building at great risk. Despite repeated appeals to government officials for additional funding, these pleas went unanswered.
If I were to select a single Brazilian landmark deserving of preservation, it would be this museum—not only for its invaluable collections but also for its deep historical significance. Since 1892, the museum has occupied the former royal palace, once the refuge of the Portuguese royal family fleeing Napoleon’s invasion and later the residence of Brazil’s emperor following independence.
Founded on June 6, 1818, by King John VI of Portugal, the National Museum was Brazil’s first scientific institution. Before the fire, it housed over 20 million artifacts, ranging from unpublished documents of Empress Maria Leopoldina and Indigenous ethnographic items to critical biodiversity specimens, fossils, and rare minerals. Tragically, the fire destroyed about 85 percent of this irreplaceable collection.
In the aftermath, one moment was both heartbreaking and uplifting. The day after the fire, as smoke still lingered, a crowd including high school students gathered near the museum’s ruins. Although police initially prevented close access for safety, after tense discussions, the group was allowed to form a human chain around the remains. This embrace symbolized their profound connection to an institution that truly belongs to the public. Reflecting on this scene still moves me deeply — a painful reminder that those entrusted with safeguarding this heritage fell short.
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