Between life and death: cemeteries, in themselves, are museums?

Abstract

Cemeteries and museums are similar for being social constructions: important places in the elaboration of memories and narratives that unite the time-space of the societies that originated. However, despite this likeness, can be considered the cemeteries museums? Or would have the potential to do so? From this ideology, the article aims to check plausible correlations between the two institutions, which justify conceive them with equivalent social function. In order to launch new look, and similarly discuss about the theme museum and graveyard by unusual perspective, has the text to its right to exist. Certainly, in that direction, is not able to dispense with touching on basic questions, conceptual and theoretical, on characteristics that allow the understanding of the institutions in a property perspective and mnemonics. The text reflects the theoretical discussion of research of the Masters Course in the Graduate Program in Social Memory and Cultural Heritage of Universidade Federal de Pelotas, executed by the coauthors, nearing completion