Memorial Anneken

Memorial Anneken in Rolante, Rio Grande do Sul, gathers more than a century of local cooperative memory into a building already embedded in that history. Created by Sicredi Caminho das Águas, the Memorial occupies a former residence associated with Pedro Alberto Ostjen, a long-serving president of the cooperative, and presents documents, photographs, institutional records, objects and community narratives relating to the development of cooperation in the region.

Its heritage value is strengthened by the way the collection continues to grow. Oral testimony, guided visits, temporary exhibitions, a bibliographic collection, digital recording and voluntary donations from members and local families make preservation a participatory process.

The Memorial therefore records cooperative development not as an abstract corporate chronology, but as a history made by families, members, workers and communities. Its public and educational vocation ensures that this memory remains available for interpretation rather than being confined to institutional custody.

The nomination also describes systematic digitisation of minutes and records, oral-history collection and a podcast room used to capture interviews and historical accounts. Community members enrich the collection by donating photographs, newspapers, documents and objects from private family holdings. This participatory method is important for peace and social cohesion because it distributes ownership of memory: the community is not merely represented by the museum but helps decide what is remembered.

In a region whose development has depended on long-term relationships between families, institutions and local enterprise, the Memorial offers a shared narrative space in which differences of generation and experience can be held together. Its contribution to peace is therefore local and relational - strengthening belonging, recognition and intergenerational dialogue through a history of mutual responsibility.