Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage
The Brazilian Academy of History and Literature (ABHL) has an open public call for the conferral of the Cultural Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage.
The initiative invites people from different regions of the country to present tangible assets related to the memory, identity, and history of their cities and communities.
To take part, the applicant must choose a tangible heritage asset, gather information about its history, and present, in an original text of their own, its historical and cultural relevance, explaining why it deserves to be known and valued.
The heritage asset does not need to be officially listed, inventoried, or protected by a public agency. It must, however, have historical or cultural value related to the memory, identity, or history of a community or of a given territory.
No scientific article or academic background is required. A clear, responsible, coherent presentation produced by the applicant is expected.
If approved, two distinct acts will take place:
the person will receive the Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage;
the asset presented will receive the ABHL Recognition of Historical and Cultural Value.
The title belongs to the person.
The recognition belongs to the heritage asset.
Institutional Note
The title is cultural, honorary, and institutional in nature. It does not correspond to a course, a professional qualification, a public office, or any oversight authority.
The recognition granted to the heritage asset is not equivalent to official heritage listing, an official inventory, legal protection, a technical opinion, or an act performed by the public authorities.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The call is open to ABHL members and to the general public.
Anyone interested in the history and memory of their city, region, or community may take part.
The following will not be required: academic background; prior coursework; professional experience in the field; affiliation with a cultural institution; ownership of the asset presented; prior membership with ABHL.
Approval will not be automatic and will depend on the review of the material submitted.
Receiving the title does not imply admission as a member of the Academy.
THE HERITAGE ASSET PRESENTED
The asset may be public, private, religious, institutional, family-owned, or community-owned.
The applicant does not need to be the owner of or responsible for the heritage asset, but must present it with respect for the property and for the people, families, and institutions related to it.
The following, among others, may be presented:
churches and chapels;
mansions and historic residences;
squares and gardens;
monuments;
railway stations;
markets;
factories and former workplaces;
forts and military structures;
public buildings;
schools;
libraries;
museums;
archives;
ruins;
documents;
books;
maps;
photographs;
objects;
collections and holdings.
Exclusively intangible practices, festivals, celebrations, knowledge, and traditions are not covered by this call.
The ABHL Campaign — Defenders of Brazilian Tangible Heritage has the following objectives:
to encourage knowledge of local history;
to stimulate the recognition of tangible assets related to the memory of communities;
to value heritage assets that are little known or not yet officially protected;
to record histories, uses, and meanings associated with buildings, objects, documents, and collections;
to recognize people who contribute to the appreciation and dissemination of Brazilian tangible heritage;
to broaden public access to responsible historical information;
to build an institutional record of heritage assets presented and recognized by ABHL;
to strengthen the awareness that preservation also begins with knowledge and appreciation.
HOW TO TAKE PART
Choose a tangible heritage asset from your city, region, or community.
Gather information about its origin, history, function, and uses over time.
Write an original presentation of your own explaining its historical and cultural importance.
List the sources consulted.
Include photographs, when possible, identifying their authorship.
Complete the application form available on this page.
Await the institutional review by ABHL.
WHAT THE TEXT MUST INCLUDE
The presentation must contain:
the name by which the heritage asset is known;
location, city, and state;
a brief history of its origin;
original function;
uses it has had over time;
importance for the memory and identity of the community;
current condition of the asset, when this information is available;
reasons why it deserves to be known and valued;
sources;
identification and credit of the images submitted.
No fixed number of pages will be required, but the text must provide enough information for the asset to be understood and evaluated.
RULES
1. One Heritage Asset per Application
Each application must present a single tangible asset.
2. Authorship
The text must be produced by the applicant.
Quotations and information from other sources must be identified.
3. Accuracy
The information presented must be true and consistent with the sources cited.
ABHL may request additional information.
4. References
Whenever possible, the sources used to learn the history of the heritage asset must be listed.
5. Images
The applicant must state the authorship or origin of the photographs.
6. Nature of the Recognition
The applicant declares that they are aware that the ABHL Recognition of Historical and Cultural Value is cultural and institutional in nature.
The recognition does not create legal protection, a preservation obligation, a restriction on property, or interference in the management and use of the asset.
7. Grounds for Refusal
The following may result in the application not being approved:
copied or plagiarized text;
false information;
improperly used images;
inability to identify the heritage asset;
absence of original content;
a presentation that is offensive or disrespectful to the people and institutions involved.
Honor Granted
This process allows self-application
(the application may be submitted by the interested person.)
Benefits
Criteria
Testimonials
O valor é devido somente se for aprovado.
Podendo ser pago à vista (Boleto ou Pix) ou parcelado em até 6x no cartão de crédito
A taxa é ÚNICA, NÃO HÁ ANUIDADE e é utilizado
à certificação institucional, registro acadêmico e custeio do processo administrativo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may apply?
Anyone interested in the history and memory of their city, region, or community.
Do I need to be an ABHL member?
No. The call is open to members of the Academy and to the general public.
Do I need a background in History, Architecture, or Cultural Heritage?
No. No academic background or specific professional experience is required.
Do I need to have completed the ABHL Study Cycle?
No. The Study Cycle gave rise to the campaign, but completing it is not a requirement for applying.
Does the heritage asset need to be officially listed?
No. The absence of official listing, inventory, or protection does not prevent its presentation or recognition.
May I present a document, object, or collection?
Yes. The call covers both immovable and movable assets, such as monuments, buildings, documents, photographs, books, maps, objects, libraries, collections, and holdings.
May I present a festival or a tradition?
The call is intended for tangible heritage. Festivals, traditions, and intangible expressions may be mentioned when they are related to a specific tangible asset.
Is the ABHL recognition equivalent to official heritage listing?
No. The recognition is cultural and institutional. It does not produce legal protection and does not replace acts of the competent public agencies.
Does the title grant oversight authority?
No. The title does not create a position, a public office, oversight authority, or a professional qualification.
Does the title make the participant a member of ABHL?
No. The application and the conferral of the title are independent of the processes for admission as a member of the Academy.
What will I receive if approved?
The applicant will receive the Certificate of Conferral of the Cultural Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage. The asset presented will receive the ABHL Recognition of Historical and Cultural Value and the corresponding Institutional Certificate.
Will the heritage asset be published on the website?
Recognized assets may be included in the public registry, subject to authorizations, the availability of information, and the editorial criteria of ABHL.
Is there a deadline to take part?
The campaign accepts applications on a rolling basis while the process is published on the ABHL website.
How long does the review take?
The time frame may vary according to the number of applications, the length of the material, and the need for additional information. The applicant will be informed through the contact channels provided in the form.
Is the fee paid before the review?
No. The Institutional Fee will be formalized only if the application is approved.
TERMS OF THE CALL CULTURAL TITLE OF DEFENDER OF BRAZILIAN TANGIBLE HERITAGE
I — Purpose
This call establishes the rules for the receipt, analysis, deliberation, and formalization of applications for the Cultural Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage, established by the Brazilian Academy of History and Literature — ABHL.
II — Nature of the title
The title is cultural, honorary, and institutional in nature.
Its conferral does not correspond to a course, an academic degree, a professional license, a public office, inspection authority, or admission as a member of ABHL.
III — Eligibility
Members of ABHL and members of the general public interested in identifying and valuing Brazilian tangible heritage may apply.
No academic training, professional experience, prior course, or institutional affiliation with the Academy will be required.
IV — The asset presented
The application must be dedicated to a tangible asset related to the history, memory, or identity of a city, region, institution, family, or community.
The asset may be public, private, religious, institutional, family-owned, or community-owned, movable or immovable.
The existence of official heritage listing, inventory, or official protection will not be required.
V — The application
The application will be made by completing the form available on this page and submitting the text authored by the applicant, the references, and the images, if any.
Each application must present a single heritage asset.
VI — Applicant's responsibility
By submitting the application, the interested party declares:
that the information is true;
that the text is of their own authorship;
that the sources have been cited responsibly;
that they will respect the rights of the owners, residents, persons responsible for, and institutions related to the asset;
that they are aware of the exclusively cultural and institutional nature of the recognition.
VII — Analysis
ABHL will consider:
the identification of the heritage asset;
its relationship with the memory of the community;
the historical and cultural relevance presented;
the clarity, coherence, and authorship of the text;
the care taken with the references;
the identification of the images;
the compatibility of the application with the objectives of the campaign.
The Academy may request additional information or clarification.
VIII — Stages
The process will comprise:
receipt and screening;
analysis of the material;
request for additional materials, when necessary;
deliberation;
notice of the result;
administrative formalization;
institutional registration;
issuance of the documents;
announcement.
IX — Results
The result may be:
granted, when the application is approved;
denied, when the application does not meet the criteria of the process.
Denial does not give rise to an automatic right to review, but the applicant may submit a new application at a later time, with revised content or additional documentation.
X — Conferral to the person
The approved person will receive the Certificate of Conferral of the Cultural Title of Defender of Brazilian Tangible Heritage.
XI — Recognition of the heritage asset
The asset presented will receive the ABHL Recognition of Historical and Cultural Value, formalized by an Institutional Certificate.
This recognition:
is not equivalent to official heritage listing;
does not constitute an official inventory;
does not produce legal protection;
does not replace a technical opinion;
does not create obligations for owners or administrators;
does not interfere with the ownership, use, or purpose of the asset;
does not represent a statement by a public agency.
XII — Publication
Recognized heritage assets may be included in a public registry on the ABHL website.
The Academy may edit the text for spelling corrections, editorial standardization, and adaptation to the publication format, preserving the content and authorship.
Information, addresses, or images may be omitted when necessary to protect privacy, security, or the rights related to the asset.
XIII — Institutional Fee
If the application is approved, an Institutional Fee will be formalized, intended to cover administrative processing, registration, issuance of the documents, and maintenance of the campaign registry.
The fee will be required only after approval.
There will be no charge for mere participation in the analysis stage.
XIV — General provisions
Submission of the application constitutes acknowledgment of and agreement with the rules on this page.
Situations not provided for will be analyzed by the competent bodies of ABHL.
The Academy may update procedures, forms, and guidance, preserving the nature and objectives of the campaign.