Context : Fire at the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro 2 september 2018 (Article Wikipedia)
(See our remarks on this drama, at the end of the article.)
Following this tragic and very sad event, our autistic friend Josef Schovanec, creator of the name “Autistan” and sponsor of our organization, exposed the fascinating and little-known story of Emperor Peter II of Brazil (whose autistic traits seem obvious).
He concluded his speech by talking about our efforts here in Rio de Janeiro, with the first physical Embassy of Autistan (that is to say the first Embassy for autistic people), and our modest project of “Autistan Museum” (who will ultimately be named “Autismuseum” (“Autism museum” / “Autismuseu” etc.).
You can :
- Access the audio recording of the show on this radio’s website (RTBF) ;
- Or else, listen to this recording here using the player below ;
- Et / or read the transcript (approximate) (or, for languages other than French, automatic translation) from what Josef said, below this image :
(Rough transcription or translation)
“Bonjour,
This week was marked by the tragic fire at the National Museum of Brazil. THE
media spoke about it, then passed, without surprise, to something else. Of course, I am me
also remained in shock seeing so many treasures disappear, but not only : the
national museum of Brazil actually hides a singular story that gives me food for thought
for several years now.
Voilà : the national museum was actually located in the former imperial palace of Brazil. Because yes,
Brazil was an Empire, in the 19th century. And it is from one of these emperors that I
would like to speak : Peter II of Brazil. Often we say, not without reason, that autistic people
can practice almost all professions in the world – with the exception of politics, car,
as we know, autistic people refuse to lie. However, in some rare cases, by
some whim of fate, an autistic person seems to gain political power.
Peter II of Brazil, ascended the throne when he was just a child, could be one of them
the most intriguing examples. Let's say his profile was, and that’s an understatement, more ... than
particular, the opposite of his father, Peter I, who had multiplied the escapades of everything
order before leaving, leaving his country on the brink of civil war.
Everyone had noticed that the new emperor, Peter II, was weird. Of the
childhood, he only seemed interested in books, which he devoured according to a schedule
rigorous as he was going, for the rest, respect all his life. The real question was
how to explain these strangenesses : usually, biographers say he took refuge
in books to escape the political intrigues of the court. I'm not so sure :
how to explain then, For example, his speech defects ?
Because yes, Peter II may have been a hyperpolyglot mastering an endless list of
LANGUAGES, his diction was poor : often, he only expressed himself with an isolated word ; par
elsewhere, he could not articulate certain seemingly simple words, as
"right", Madame, that he pronounced “dadama”. Such a child, today in Europe,
would have been considered deficient and would have been excluded from school ; the same one wearing the
imperial crown was considered very majestic in the face of the quarrels and the high speech of the
courtiers. All is relative.
The problems began for Peter II in early adulthood : the advisors of the
court had a seemingly brilliant idea : to make it normal, he had to get married.
Luckily, at the time there still existed a form, I was going to say autistic, of marriage, has
know about long distance marriage. What was done. Alas, when, much later, the wife of
the emperor eventually arrived in Brazil, Peter II had a shock, started to cry and said “they
deceived, right » : in fact she didn't look anything like, Of course, to the portrait we had of him
presented before the wedding.
The rest of his life was dedicated, just like his childhood, to scientific investigations.
His erudition in molluscs, shells and other strange animals was such that the
greatest scientists of his time, including Darwin himself, were dazzled by his
knowledge. The national museum that humanity has just lost owed a lot to these
decades of patient work collector and autistic.
On the political plan, Peter II entered the history of the fact, notably, of the abolition of
slavery. Until this day, for Brazilians, Peter II is the most important politician
popular history of the country, because of its simplicity, of his lifestyle
particularly economical, far from the corruption that plagues the political class
Brazilian, of moral rectitude.
Peter II died as he had lived : alone and poor, in exile in Paris, having abandoned a
throne to which he did not hold.
End of the story ? Not quite. It turns out that the autism story in Rio could
soon to bounce back. It is indeed there, not far from the former imperial palace which has become
musée, than an autistic friend, Eric Lucas, established the first embassy of Autistan. Et
soon a self-museum.”
Members of the Autistan Diplomatic Organization and many autistic people around the world are very shocked and saddened by the fire that destroyed the National Museum of Brazil.
Autistic people are very attached to the notions of “conservation” and of “collections”.
We don't understand how such an incredible thing (and absurdly) could have happened, while, precisely, museums are made to conserve and protect.
Such a concentration of unique parts should require exemplary security efforts..
Otherwise, it's much safer not to collect these pieces in single places (and fragile).
This is a terrible disaster for the heritage of Humanity, but who, Alas, is only a weak example of what Man “ordinary” can do or let.
Disasters caused solely by man “ordinary” repeat and multiply, but we (autistic people) we are judged “deficient”, by these same people, supposedly “responsible”…