History Of Brasília
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Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
, the capital city of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
located in the nation’s
Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...
, has a history beginning in the colonial era and interactions with the native inhabitants of the area. The first propositions of relocating Brazil's capital began in the late 18th century, and after various plans and attempts at settlement, the city was inaugurated on 21 April 1960 following a four year construction period. Since its inauguration, the city has faced economic, social and political challenges and has seen vast population growth and spreading urbanisation. Since the end of the 20th century, however, Brasília has become an important cultural hub through contributions of music, art and literature.


Early history

The area where Brasília was established within the State of Goias had a long history of Indigenous inhabitance and held importance during the colonial era. The State of Goias was originally designated as a
Captaincy A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish colonies, Spanish and Portuguese colonies, Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule admin ...
of the Viceroyalty of Brazil, two administrative designations that were used in the
Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...
. The state gained its name from the Goia people, who lived centrally within the Captaincy, and were subject to colonial expansion in the 17th and 18th centuries, leading to their assimilation and decline. There was no direct precursor city to Brasília as it was established in part of the savannah of Brazil’s central plateau. There were, however, several significant settlements in the vicinity, such as Luziânia, then named Santa Luzia, which was established in the 1740’s and became a successful mining town.


Settlement

The first propositions of moving Brazil's capital city from
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
came in 1798 from the
Inconfidência Mineira The (; "Minas Gerais Conspiracy") was an unsuccessful separatist movement in Colonial Brazil in 1789. It was the result of a confluence of external and internal causes. The external inspiration was the History of the United States (1776–1789 ...
, a separatist political movement that existed during the colonial period of Brazil. The movement's leader, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as
Tiradentes Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (; 12 November 1746 – 21 April 1792), known as Tiradentes (), was a leading member of the Colonial Brazil, colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement known as the Inconfidência Mineira, whose aim was full i ...
, had planned to establish a new capital for an independent Brazil in the city of
São João del-Rei São João del-Rei is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. Founded in 1713 in homage to king John V of Portugal, the city is famed for its historic Portuguese colonial architecture. The current population is estimated at 90,225 i ...
, located within the province of
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. Tiradentes was hanged on April 21, 1792, which led to the collapse of the Inconfidência Mineira and, for a significant time, the movement for a new location for the capital city.


Later attempts and the site of Brasília

In 1822, the Brazilian statesman José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva wrote the “Memoir on the Necessity and Means of Building a New Capital in the Interior of Brazil,” which became the first official plan for Brasília as the nation’s new capital city. In the document, Bonifácio suggested creating the capital in the Brazilian state of Goias at a latitude of approximately 15 degrees. Despite the similarity of these preliminary plans to the current location of the settlement, Bonifácio faced exile and his plans did not progress. This characterised many of the plans for the site of a new capital that were proposed during Brazil’s period as an Empire. It was not until the first republic was declared in 1889 that the plans progressed further, with a statement in the new constitution urging the movement of the capital to an interior location, aiming to lessen the economic and social reliance on Rio de Janeiro and the South-East of Brazil. A council led by
Luís Cruls Luíz Cruls or Luís Cruls or Louis Ferdinand Cruls (21 January 1848 – 21 June 1908) was a Belgian- Brazilian astronomer and geodesist. He was Director of the Brazilian National Observatory from 1881 to 1908, led the commission charged with ...
broadly outlined the boundaries of a new federal district in 1892, which was later narrowed down by a federal commission led by José Pessoa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque in 1955. The final commission made the designation of a 5850 square kilometre province for the new capital within the original space outlined by Cruls, an area and size which has largely remained the same since. Between these commissions, plans for Brasília’s creation were seen in federal laws in 1922 and mentioned in the constitution of 1946. The final designation prompted the beginning of the city’s construction, which occurred under the presidency of
Juscelino Kubitschek Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. Kubitschek's government plan, dubbed "50 years i ...
.


Construction

The construction of Brasília was one of the core initiatives of President Kubitschek’s “Fifty Years in Five” program, a centrepiece of his administration’s focus on development. Launched in 1956, the program aimed for
industrialisation Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for th ...
and
urbanisation Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It can also ...
on a wide scale in order to achieve large economic gains. It focused on the local economies of
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
and Rio de Janeiro, and sought to ease the burdens on these areas with the interior relocation of the capital.
Lúcio Costa Lúcio Marçal Ferreira Ribeiro Lima Costa (27 February 1902 – 13 June 1998) was a Brazilian architect and urban planner, best known for his plan for Brasília. Early life Costa was born in Toulon, France, the son of Brazilian parents. His ...
became the lead urban planner in 1957 with a successful pilot plan. He worked alongside
Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was b ...
, a colleague who was approved of by President Kubitschek, and
Roberto Burle Marx Roberto Burle Marx (August 4, 1909 – June 4, 1994) was a Brazilian landscape architect (as well as a painter, print maker, ecologist, naturalist, artist and musician) whose designs of parks and gardens made him world-famous. He is credited w ...
, a landscape designer. The first building commissioned and completed was the Alvorada Palace, the official residence for the President of Brazil, which was followed by other key administrative buildings. Following this, construction expanded to include public offices, airports and a vast series of road networks connecting Brasília to other provincial capitals around the nation, along which infrastructure including motels and warehouses were established. The designs within Brasília followed a
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
and futurist architectural style, for which Niemeyer was particularly known, and its residential areas were designed to accommodate 500,000 citizens, a goal that was reached by 1970. The construction period ultimately lasted 41 months, from 1956 to April 21, 1960, the date of Brasília’s inauguration. The company leading the development of Brasília was NOVACAP; a portmanteau of 'New Capital', which was headquartered roughly two kilometers from the initial site in a work camp that eventually came to be known as Velhacap (Old Capital). Similar work camps spawned throughout the construction period due to the large influx of domestic and international migrant workers, driven in part by the vast publicity the city received. Nearby Velhacap was Candangolândia, and other smaller settlements arose in gaps left by the pilot plan. Many of these construction camps became internal communities, with food provided in mess halls to workers who lived in residences similar to barracks. These communities went on to form the basis of the many satellite cities in the Federal District, as seen in the current status of Candangolândia as an administrative region.


Economic repercussions

The total cost of the construction of Brasília was estimated to be 1.5 Billion USD (unadjusted from 1954 dollars) by President
Café Filho João Fernandes Campos Café Filho (; 3 February 1899 – 20 February 1970) was a Brazilian politician who served as the 18th president of Brazil, taking office upon the suicide of President Getúlio Vargas. He was the first Protestant to occup ...
. Subsequent administrations have generally been unsure about the total costs, with general estimates regarding it as one of the world’s most expensive development projects. The high expenses of the project diverted taxes into the city from around the country, which caused the emergence of an urban/rural divide in the Brasília area, and prompted population growth due to an influx of rural inhabitants moving to urban areas for social and economic opportunities. 27
satellite cities A satellite city or satellite town is a smaller municipality or settlement that is part of (or on the edge of) a larger metropolitan area and serves as a regional population and employment center. It differs from mere suburbs, subdivisions a ...
have grown on the outskirts of Brasília, fed by urbanisation and the high concentration of office workers in the city prompting lower income earners to live outside and commute in. The vast expenditure on the construction of Brasília also impacted the wider Brazilian economy. After the beginning of the
Fourth Brazilian Republic The Fourth Brazilian Republic, also known as the "Populist Republic" or as the "Republic of 46", is the period of History of Brazil, Brazilian history between 1946 and 1964. It was marked by political instability and the military's pressure on ci ...
in 1946, the national economy grew significantly through a method of
import substitution industrialization Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a protectionist trade and economics, economic policy that advocates replacing foreign imports with domestic production. It is based on the premise that a country should attempt to reduce its foreign ...
which initially relied on large foreign investments to drive industry. This economic approach created national debt which was significantly worsened by the construction of Brasília, leading to increased inflation and a drop in GDP growth (7% to 4%) and industry growth (9% to 3.9%). The lack of adequate financing for the city’s construction became a prolonged issue in successive governments following President Kubitschek's administration and the 1964 coup d'etat, and has been named as a contributor to hyperinflation and recession in the 1980’s. Kubitschek's “Fifty Years in Five” program fell under wide criticism following his presidency, with critics, newspapers and academics often describing it as “fifty years’ inflation in five.”


Social impacts

Brasília held the status of a national pride during its construction and after its inauguration, much of which focused on the architectural identity of the city. Dr Steffen Lehmann, an academic from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explains this by saying, “At this time, Brasília was seen as a modern utopia that expressed optimism and trust in the future.” This led to the creation of venerative documents such as the Ode to Brasília by Alberto Bonfim; “A pioneer city is rising architecturally bold, the first of its kind in this new urban mould.” Its placement in the interior of the country was chosen to bring about social change by creating a stronger physical connection between the regions and the government, and thus a clearer national identity.


Early years


Cultural development

The
University of Brasília A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
was officially opened in 1962 by founders Darcy Ribeiro, an anthropologist, and
Anísio Teixeira Anísio Spínola Teixeira (July 12, 1900 – March 11, 1971) was a Brazilian educator, jurist, and writer. Teixeira was one of the reformers of Brazilian education of the early 20th century, being an advocate of progressive education in the coun ...
, an educator. Oscar Niemeyer designed the main campus building for the university, nicknamed Minhoção or 'Big Worm', which completed construction in 1971. The university shared a goal similar to the social aim of constructing Brasília, "to renew the methods of learning and to teach towards the future." The University contributed greatly to the cultural development of the city and a focus on the arts. In 1962, the Central Institute of the Arts was opened by Alcides da Rocha Miranda, which led to a greater presence of art academics in the Brasília. It was in this same time period that the first literary works from the city were being published and gaining traction, with the first literary anthologies, Poetas de Brasília and Contistas de Brasília, released in 1962 and 1964 respectively. In 1965 the first 'Brasília Festival of Brazilian Film' was held, and is today one of the oldest and largest film festivals in Brazil.


Changing political status

Brazil underwent significant changes from 1964 onwards, when a military coup d‘etat ousted then president
João Goulart João Belchior Marques Goulart (; 1 March 1919 – 6 December 1976), commonly known as Jango, was a Brazilian politician who served as the president of Brazil from 1961 until a military coup d'état deposed him in 1964. He was considered the ...
due to economic and social crises. Goulart’s left leaning policies were particularly attacked in the face of inflation nearing 80% annually, a large amount of which was attributable to Kubitschek’s presidency and the vast deficit expenditure on Brasília. The coup was centred in Brasília, which significantly damaged the city's social identity as a futuristic and optimistic symbol of national pride. A process of re-democratisation began in the 1980’s which was officially formalised in the drafting of a new constitution in 1988. The new constitution redefined the political rights of the Federal District, and Brasília within, by giving it more political independence and less direct reliance on the Federal government. Article 32 of the constitution outlines that the Federal District is given the same rights as all other states and
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
including the election of a Governor and Vice-Governor, whilst maintaining that it is not to be further divided into municipalities. Since the constitution the district has had the unique simultaneous definition as a state and municipality of Brazil.''Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil,'' Ch. 5, Section 1, Article 32


Modern era

Since the end of Brazil's military government in the 1980's, Brasília has been a cultural hub, especially for music. Numerous rock, punk and grunge bands formed and began more readily releasing music in the freer cultural climate, inspired by similar musical movements in the US and UK.
Legião Urbana Legião Urbana (Portuguese for Urban Legion) was a Brazilian rock band formed in 1982 in Brasília, Federal District (Brazil), Distrito Federal. The band primarily consisted of Renato Russo (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Dado Villa-Lobos ...
was one of the most famous groups, who released their first album in 1985. They were recognised by
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
for their song, 'Que país é este?' and their lead singer Renata Russo. The rise of these groups was credited with beginning to shift the identity of Brasília away from its complicated political history and towards the arts.


See also

* Timeline of Brasília * History of the city of São Paulo


References

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