“The engineering of the non-engineer”: Conrado Jacob de Niemeyer and the Engineering Club of Rio de Janeiro in transnational perspective (1880-1919)

Abstract:

The Engineering Club of Rio de Janeiro was created in 1880 by the trader and industrialist Conrado Jacob de Niemeyer (III) (1842-1919) and by some engineers and businessmen from Rio. With its uninterrupted operation since then, the institution sought to stimulate the territorial and industrial expansion of the society, and to legitimize technical knowledge as preponderant for the conduct of public life, pointing to an undeniable proximity between public power and private interest. Through the professional biography of Conrado Jacob de Niemeyer and his presence in the club, we show the constitution of a network of interests that allows us to understand some of the theoretical foundations of the so-called transnational history, and consequently a re-evaluation of the history of the entity.

Keywords:
Engineering Club of Rio de Janeiro; Conrado Jacob de Niemeyer; Engineers