R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Brazil
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Helps For Using This Research Outline
     References To Other Family History Library Publications
Archives And Libraries
     National Government Archives And Libraries
     State Archives
     Civil And District Civil Registry Offices
     Diocese And Parish Archives
     Libraries And Archives Of Portugal
     Private And Public Libraries
     Historical And Genealogical Societies
     Inventories, Registers, And Catalogs
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
     Bahia State Census
     São Paulo State Census
     Paraná State Census
     Polish Census
     Searching Census Records
     Searching In Big Cities
Church Directories
Church History
     Roman Catholic
     Judaism
     Other Religions
Church Records
     General Historical Background
     Information Recorded In Church Registers
     Records Not At The Family History Library
     Search Strategies
Civil Registration
     Information Recorded In Civil Registers
     Locating Civil Registration Records
     Records At The Family History Library
     Locating Records Not At The Family History Library
     Search Strategies
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
     Finding Your Ancestor’s Town Of Origin
     Passenger Lists
     Immigration To Brazil
     Records Of Brazilian Emigrants To The United States
     Other Records Of Departure
Encyclopedias And Dictionaries
Gazetteers
     Finding Place Names In The Family History Library Catalog
     Modern Place Names
     Historical Place Names
Genealogy
     Major Collections And Databases
     Family Histories
     Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
Heraldry
Historical Geography
     The Captaincies
     States
History
     Local Histories
Jewish Records
Land And Property
Language And Languages
     Language Aids
Maps
     Using Maps
     Finding The Specific Town On The Map
     Finding Maps And Atlases
Military Records
     Military History
Minorities
Names, Personal
     Surnames
     Given Names
Native Races
Nobility
Notarial Records
Occupations
Periodicals
     Obtaining Periodicals
Probate Records
Slavery And Bondage
Social Life And Customs
Societies
Taxation
Other Records Of Brazil
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources like books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes the major repositories of genealogical and historical records and sources for Brazil. When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in this outline, return to this section to obtain the address.

If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the organization, and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Some of that information may also be found on the Internet. You may need to obtain a letter of introduction from your embassy before visiting a repository.

Any civil registration records you need may be in a civil registry, district office (Cartório Distrital), or municipal archive (Cartório Municipal), and church records may be in a diocese or parish.

There are many repositories with genealogical information for Brazilian research:

  • National archives and libraries (arquivos e bibliotecas nacionais)
  • State archives (arquivos do Estado)
  • District and municipal civil registry offices (Cartório Distrital e Municipal do Registro Civil)
  • Diocese and parish archives
  • Libraries and archives of Portugal
  • Private and public libraries
  • Historical and genealogical societies

Records of genealogical value at district, state, and national archives include the following:

  • Church records
  • Civil registrations
  • Censuses
  • Court records
  • Military records
  • Emigration records
  • Land records
  • School records

The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library) and state and city public archives also have a large collection of published genealogies, manuscripts, histories, directories, maps, and newspapers.

Some helpful guides to federal, state, municipal, and church records are:

Catálogo dos Arquivos Brasileiros (Catalog of Brazilian Archives). Rio de Janeiro: Arquivo Nacional, 1977. (FHL book 981 A3b; film 1218975; computer number 0021693.)

Guia Brasileiro de Fontes para a História da África, da Escravidão Negra e do Negro na Sociedade Atual: Fontes Arquivistas (Brazilian Guide of Sources for the History of Africa, Black Slavery and of the Negro in the Present Society). 2 vols. Rio de Janeiro: Arquivo Nacional, 1988. (FHL book 981 A3g; computer number 0608264.) Volume 2 has information of the collections in the National Archives, in Rio de Janeiro.


National Government Archives and Libraries

Addresses for the national archives of Brazil and other national repositories are as follows:

  • Arquivo do Ministério do Exército (Archive of the Ministry of the Army)
    Praça Duque de Caxias
    20000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    BRASIL

  • Arquivo da Marinha (Archive of the Navy)
    Rua D. Manuel 15
    20000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    BRASIL

  • Arquivo do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro (Archive of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Brazil)
    Av Augusto Severo 8
    20000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    BRASIL


State Archives

In Brazil each state has its own archives that are separate from those of the national government. They serve as repositories for records about their particular area. Records of genealogical value at state archives may include the following:

The state archives of Brazil are open to members of the public who have proper identification and permission (that is, a letter of introduction from your country’s embassy, a university official, or another notable organization).

Following are the addresses of the state archives:

  • Arquivo Geral do Estado do Acre
    Av. Getúlio Vargas sn. - Centro
    69900-160 Rio Branco - AC
    BRASIL
    Tel./Fax: (068) 224-1844

  • Arquivo Público de Alagoas
    Praça D. Pedro II - 57 - Centro
    57020-130 Maceió - AL
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (082) 223-4098

  • Fundação Cultural do Estado de Amapá
    FUNDECAP
    Rua Tiradentes, s/n - Centro
    68900-130 Macapá - AP
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (096) 212-5120
    Fax: (096) 212-5115

  • Arquivo Público Estadual de Amazonas
    Rua Bernardo Ramos, 265
    69005-320 Manaus - AM
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (092) 232-3878

  • Arquivo Público do Estado da Bahia
    Ladeira de Quintas, 50 - Baixa de Quintas
    40320-140 Salvador - BA
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (071) 233-4455/233-6231
    Fax: (071) 233-5112/244-2747

  • Arquivo Público do Estado do Ceará
    Rua Senador Pompeu, 648
    60150-000 Fortaleza - CE
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (085) 231-8860

  • Arquivo Público Estadual do Espírito Santo
    Rua Pedro Palácios, 76 - Cidade Alta
    29015-160 Vitória - ES
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (027) 223-2952
    Fax: (027) 223-3987

  • Arquivo Histórico do Estado de Goiás
    Praça Cívica 02 Anexo 2
    74001-900 Goiânia - GO
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (062) 225-6088

  • Arquivo Público do Estado do Maranhão
    Rua Nazaré, 218 - Centro
    65010-410 São Luís - MA
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (098) 232-4544/238-1399
    Fax: (098) 231-1601

  • Arquivo Público de Mato Grosso
    Centro Político Administrativo - CPA
    Palácio Paiaguás - Bloco 3
    78050-970 Cuiabá - MT
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (065) 313-3103
    Fax: (065) 313-2253

  • Arquivo Público do Estado de Mato
    Grosso do Sul
    Edifício Nação
    Rua 14 de Julho, 2164 - 4º andar
    79102-336 Campo Grande - MS
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (067) 382-5440

  • Arquivo Público Mineiro (Minas Gerais)
    Rua Aimorés, 1450 - Funcionários
    30140-071 Belo Horizonte - MG
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (031) 269-1099
    Fax: (031) 269-1060/1167

  • Arquivo Público do Estado do Pará
    Travessa Campos Sales, 273 - Comércio
    66019-050 Belém - PA
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (091) 241-9700/4046
    Fax: (091) 241-9097

  • Arquivo Administrativo da Paraíba
    Espaço Cultural - subsolo
    Rua Pres. Kennedy, s/n - Tambauzinho
    58040-022 João Pessoa - PB
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (083) 224-9360 r. 146/224-1360 r. 135

  • Arquivo Público do Estado do Paraná
    Rua Cândido de Abreu, 381 - Centro Cívico
    80530-000 Curitiba - PR
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (041) 352-2299
    Fax: (041) 252-1728
    E-mail: deap@lepus.celepar.br

  • Arquivo Público Estadual de Pernambuco
    Rua do Imperador D. Pedro II
    371-Santo Antônio
    50010-240 Recife - PE
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (081) 224-0085/9848
    Tel./Fax: (081) 224-0620

  • Arquivo Público e Museu Histórico do Piauí
    Rua Coelho Rodrigues, 1016 - Centro
    64020-240 Teresina - PI
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (086) 221-5541

  • Arquivo Público Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte
    Rua José Agnaldo de Barros 2872
    Parque das Colinas
    59065-000 Natal - RN
    BRASIL
    Tel./Fax: (084) 207-3351
    E-mail: vanilde@secrin.m.gov.br
    Internet: www.secrin.rn.gov.br/hpgovrn/sad/arqpb/arqpub.htm

  • Arquivo Histórico do Rio Grande do Sul
    Av. Cristóvão Colombo, 1374 - Floresta
    90560-001 Pôrto Alegre - RS
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (051) 346-4909
    Fax: (051) 227-4447 (Secretaria de Cultura)

  • Arquivo Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
    Rua Riachuelo, 1031 - 2º. Portão Centro
    90010-270 Porto Alegre - RS
    Tel.: (051) 227-1698/3614
    Fax: (051) 224-3614

  • Arquivo Geral do Estado de Rondônia
    Esplanada das Secretarias
    Av. Farquar s/n
    78900-350 Pôrto Velho - RO
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (069) 222-2801/222-8397/221-8521

  • Arquivo Público do Estado de Roraima
    Rua Miguel Lupe Martins, s/n - São Pedro
    69306-490 Boa Vista - RR
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (095) 224-6238

  • Arquivo Público do Estado de Santa Catarina
    Av. Mauro Ramos, 1264 - Centro
    88020-302 Florianópolis - SC
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (048) 2242-6080

  • Arquivo Público do Estado de São Paulo
    Rua Voluntários da Pátria, 596 - Santana
    02010-000 São Paulo - SP
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (011) 681-6163/681-6959/681-2850
    Fax: (011) 6959-4785
    E-mail: fausto@mandic.com.br
    Internet: www.arquivoestado.sp.gov.br

  • Arquivo Público Estadual de Sergipe
    Praça Fausto Cardoso, 348 - Centro
    49010-080 Aracaju - SE
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (079) 222-2375/222-5658

  • Arquivo Público Estadual de Tocantins
    99000 Palmas, TO
    BRASIL


Civil and District Civil Registry Offices

In Brazil, records created by the local government, including birth, death, and marriage records, are kept in the local registry offices (Cartório Municipal) or the district registry offices (Cartório Distrital). These records are available to the public. For more information about these offices and their records, see the “Civil Registration” section of this outline.

If records are not available through the Family History Library from the towns your ancestors were from, you may need to write to the registry offices in that area. For help writing a letter in Portuguese, see the Portuguese Letter-Writing Guide (36341).


Diocese and Parish Archives

There are two archdiocese in Brazil, each of which has many records of genealogical and historical value for its regions:

  • Arquivo da Cúria Metropolitana
    cx. postal 6778
    03102-970 São Paulo, SP
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (011) 826-0133
    Fax: (011) 825-6806

Some dioceses of the Catholic Church have gathered copies of local parish church records into the diocese archive. For records not available through the Family History Library, you can write to these archives and request brief searches of their records. For additional information, see the “Church Records” section of this outline.

Catholic Church records less than 100 years old are usually kept by the local parish, which may also have earlier records. It is possible to write to local parishes and church archives for information. See the “Church Records” section of this outline for more information.

A few records for other church denominations are found in the Family History Library Catalog. For records of other church denominations, write directly to the church by consulting a local telephone directory, or check the Genealogia no Brasil web site at:

www.enfoque.com/genealogia

Libraries and Archives of Portugal

Some pre-1822 sources for Brazil are also available in libraries in Portugal. Check the Family History Library Catalog under “Portugal,” or contact these libraries and ask about their collection, hours, services, and fees:

  • Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo
    Alameda da Universidade
    1700 Lisboa
    PORTUGAL
    Tel.: (01) 793 21 31
    Fax: (01) 793 72 30

  • Arquivo Histórico Militar (Historical Military Archive)
    Largo do Caminho de Ferro
    1196 Lisboa
    PORTUGAL
    Tel.: (01) 888 21 31, ext. 2 32 15

  • Arquivo Geral da Marinha (General Archive of the Navy)
    Praça da Armada
    1300 Lisboa
    PORTUGAL

  • Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Historical Oversea Archive)
    Calçada da Boa-Hora, 30 (Palácio de Ega)
    1300 Lisboa
    PORTUGAL
    Tel.: (01) 363 24
    Fax: (01) 36 21 956

  • Biblioteca da Ajuda (Library of Assistance)
    Palácio da Ajuda
    1300 Lisboa
    PORTUGAL
    Tel.: (01) 363 85 02

For information on records of Brazil in Portugal, see:

Almeida, Eduardo de Castro, Inventário dos documentos relativos ao Brasil existentes no Arquivo da Marinha e Ultramar de Lisboa (Inventory of documents relating to Brazil that exist in the Marinha and Utramarino archives). 8 vols. Rio de Janeiro, 1913–1938.


Private and Public Libraries

Brazilian libraries have collected published sources such as local histories, phone directories, maps, newspapers, and genealogies. See the “Genealogy” section of this outline for information about compiled family histories.

The National Library has an extensive collection of manuscripts and published sources. For information, write to:

Other useful libraries include:

  • Instituto Genealógico Brasileiro
    Rua Sete de Abril, 230
    01044-000 São Paulo, SP
    BRASIL
    Tel.: (11) 257-4840

  • Universidade de São Paulo
    Cidade Universitária
    Armando de Salles Oliveira
    CP 8191
    05508-900 São Paulo
    BRASIL
    Fax: (11) 815-2142
    E-mail: dtsibi@org.usp.br

Many of the archives, museums, libraries, and universities of Brazil can be found on the Internet at:

www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/mexico.html
www.lanic.utexas.edu/world/library/

Historical and Genealogical Societies

In Brazil there are organized historical and genealogical societies. Some societies maintain libraries and archives that collect valuable records. For more information, see the “Societies” section of this outline.


Inventories, Registers, and Catalogs

Many archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit, or use the records during your visit so you can use your time more effectively. See:

Catálogo dos arquivos brasileiros (Catalog of the Brazilian archives). Rio de Janeiro: Arquivo Nacional, 1977. (FHL book 981 A3b; film 1218975; computer number 0021693.)

A guide to the archives and libraries for slavery records in Brazil is:

Guia brasileiro de fontes para a história da África, da escravidão negra e do negro na sociedade atual: fontes arquivistas (Brazilian Guide of Sources for the History of Africa, Black Slavery and of the Negro in the Present Society). 2 vols. Arquivo Nacional: Departamento de Imprensa Nacional, 1988. (FHL book 981 A3g; computer number 0608264.) This guide describes the records in federal, state, and ecclesiastical archives.

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