Interview with Dr. Rodrigo Luís dos Santos, historian at the Visconde de São Leopoldo Museum

impacts of the 2024 floods and the German immigration bicentennial in Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

In this interview, Dr. Rodrigo Luís dos Santos, historian of the Visconde de São Leopoldo Museum, discusses the impacts of the May 2024 floods, which damaged the museum’s collection, including the loss of a historic piano and other instruments. He details the restoration efforts, such as the “Adopt an Object” campaign, and highlights the museum’s role in the bicentennial of German immigration in Rio Grande do Sul. The interview addresses community mobilization, the need for a more robust contingency plan, and the digitization of the collection. Dr. Rodrigo reflects on the lessons learned from the disaster and shares expectations for the museum’s future, including its reopening and commemorative events for the bicentennial.