Video produced by the members of the ADM201 class group
What you may not know about the institution's history
The story begins in 1930, when the Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade do Brasil (present-day UFRJ) began to be structured.
The project did not go ahead, and the building's skeleton, which had already been built, was abandoned. As a result, some people began to migrate to the area around the skeleton, and after a while, to its interior. With the construction of the Maracanã for the 1950 World Cup, the number of people increased.
Favela do Esqueleto in 1953, still with few shacks. Correio da Manhã Collection - Arquivo Nacional
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a building under construction. On the left side, there is a tree with green leaves. In the center, we see the still-incomplete building, with visible wooden structures and beams. In front, there is an empty street with a parked car. In the background, there are more trees and a power line. On the right, there is a small structure and a wall.In just a few years, the Favela do Esqueleto was already one of the largest in Rio de Janeiro. The structures inside the skeleton were highly diverse: some looked like standard apartments, while others were more precarious, due to parts of the skeleton having been burned.
In the 1960s, the then Governor of Guanabara, Carlos Lacerda, launched a project to remove favelas and evict residents. Most of these people were relocated to the new Vila Kennedy, in Bangu.
It was in this location that UERJ's main campus was built.
The Origins of the University
Before becoming UERJ, the institution received several names: the first was UDF (Universidade do Distrito Federal). Over the years, UDF changed, and in 1958 it became URJ (Universidade do Rio de Janeiro).
In 1961, due to the transfer of the Federal District to Brasília, the university became UEG (Universidade do Estado da Guanabara). The current name only came about in 1975, the year the university became UERJ (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro).
In 1976, on the site of the former Favela do Esqueleto, the Francisco Negrão de Lima campus was inaugurated, which was divided into two pavilions: João Lyra Filho and Haroldo Lisboa Cunha.
Model of the Cidade Universitária of what was then UEG (Universidade do Estado da Guanabara), which would come to be called UERJ (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), after 1975. Correio da Manhã Collection - Arquivo Nacional
Image description: The image is a photograph of a scale architectural model, representing an urban complex. The spatial layout begins on the left, where we see several rectangular structures, possibly residential or commercial buildings. In the center, there is an open space with a circular symbol in the middle. On the right, we find two large tall buildings, likely apartment towers. In the background, there are more smaller buildings and green areas. The model is in black and white, with clear and well-defined details. In the upper right, there is an inscription that reads "ESTUDOS DE LOCALIZAÇÃO."Information and trivia
UERJ has 12 floors and more than 400 rooms;
It was ranked as the 8th best Brazilian university for 9 consecutive years;
The food at UERJ is considered one of the best among universities in Rio de Janeiro;
UERJ was the first university in the country to adopt the quota system;
At UERJ, there is a square dedicated to the memory of student Luiz Paulo, a medical sciences student who was a victim of the military dictatorship during a student demonstration;
Francisco Negrão de Lima was governor of the state of Guanabara from 1965 to 1971.
Test your knowledge about UERJ in this QUIZ prepared by the members of the HPD111 class group
