Na paz e na guerra, a caridade" : a atuação da Cruz Vermelha brasileira, filial do Rio Grande do Sul, no pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial (1946-1956)

Abstract

After the Second World War, various humanitarian organizations operated in Europe with the aim of assisting war victims. In this scenario, the International Committee of the Red Cross, an international humanitarian organization established in several countries, was active in providing aid services to victims of armed conflicts. The aim of this study is to analyze, study, and understand the work of the Brazilian Red Cross, Rio Grande do Sul Branch, in helping the victims of the Second World War who were inside German territory by sending supplies, locating people, and assisting with emigration to Brazil from 1945 to 1956, a period that corresponds to the demands of the post-World War II era. To achieve this, we engage in a dialogue with Microhistory and Transnational History, analyzing the activities of this branch of the Red Cross within the global context of aid to Europe after the Second World War. The sources for this study are letters from Europe addressed to the branch during the period, as well as documents such as letters and internal correspondence from the organization. The Rio Grande do Sul branch worked mainly on three fronts: sending packages of supplies, helping in cases involving emigration, and searching for the whereabouts of missing persons. The research indicates that the Rio Grande do Sul branch served as a mediator between worlds—Europe and South America, Germany and Brazil—and between subjects. In order to send packages of supplies to Europe, it collaborated with other organizations, public bodies, and international institutions. Within the very structure of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the National Red Cross Societies, it has sought to assist in the search for the whereabouts of missing persons in order to reconnect ties between families.