Parque cultural Menonita: instrumento para preservação da cultura e memória de um povo

Abstract

This paper presents a research that results in the architectural project of a Cultural Park, called Mennonite Cultural Park, located in the neighbourhood of Boqueirão, in the city of Curitiba, Paraná - Brazil. Its purpose is to be an instrument for preservation of Mennonite’s history and culture. Mennonites are a group formed during the Anabaptist movement in Europe (XVI century), which had Menno Simons as a leader. Due to religious persecution, Mennonites spread all over the world, and Brazil was one of the countries that opened the doors for them. In 1934, a Mennonite immigrant community established in the city of Curitiba. At first, their lifestyle was similar to a closed community, and they kept their culture and traditions. As time passed, they got more adapted to the new country. This cultural adjustment has countless positive aspects, but it also issues a concern about preserving the group’s culture and memory, which are part of the identity of these immigrants. Therefore, the Cultural Mennonite Park is proposed as an answer for this problem.