BnT Online launches book revealing the history of Ponta Grossa

Ponta Grossa reaches 203 years looking back, but also into the future. As part of the celebrations for the anniversary of the municipality, the BnT Online presents the book “Ponta Grossa 203 years: From the Route of the Tropeiros to the Tracks of Innovation”, a work that brings together different perspectives on the trajectory of the city and the paths that helped to build the identity of the city.

The publication is based on the special series PG 203 ANOS, developed by the portal throughout September. The contents bring together articles signed by representatives of different areas and sectors of society, addressing topics such as history, culture, economy, education, security, meio ambiente, tourism, innovation, infrastructure and urban development.

The title of the work summarizes the proposal: to tell the transformation of Ponta Grossa from the period when the territory was marked by the movement of tropeiros to the contemporary city, marked by industry, logistics, universities, technology and innovation.

From the passage of the tropers to the city that developed

The history of Ponta Grossa is directly linked to its strategic location on the Campos Gerais. Even before the formation of the municipality, the territory was already used as an area of passage and permanence by different peoples.

Article by the municipal secretary of Culture, Alberto Schramm Portugal, published by the BnT, highlights that the local history begins before the political emancipation, with the presence of the indigenous peoples and the circulation by the old Way of Peabiru. Later, the arrival of the tropeiros transformed the region into an important point of passage between the South and the Southeast.

This vocation for the paths has continued over time. The railroad began to play a key role in the economic and urban expansion of the city, while commerce, industry and subsequently logistics consolidated Ponta Grossa as one of the main economic centers of the Paraná.

The article by Edgar Hampf, also a member of the book, summarizes this transformation by presenting Ponta Grossa as a “pouso transformed into destination”. According to him, the old route of the troops was decisive for the emergence of commercial activities and for the occupation of the territory.

A story told by different voices

One of the differentials of the publication is precisely the diversity of authors and themes.

Among the published contents is the participation of prefeita Elizabeth Schmidt, which addresses urban growth and the challenges of building a more humane city. In the text, she highlights the transformation of Ponta Grossa over the last decades and the importance of people in the construction of the city.

The economy also occupies an important place in the work. Cláudio Grokoviski, the municipal secretary of the Treasury, presents the economic trajectory of the municipality, relating the old tropeira vocation to commercial, industrial and logistical development that placed Ponta Grossa among the main economic poles of Paraná.

The book also covers areas such as education and innovation. In an article dedicated to higher education, Sabrina Ávila Rodrigues, of UTFPR, discusses the contribution of universities to vocational training, research, extension and local economic development.

Public safety appears in another chapter, signed by the municipal secretary of Citizenship and Public Security, Guilherme Rangel de Melo Alberto, which deals with the use of technology and the integration between the security forces in the municipality.

Culture and memory as part of identity

The proposal of the publication also goes through the preservation of memory.

In addressing the cultural formation of Ponta Grossa, Alberto Portugal points out that the identity of the city was built by different generations, involving indigenous peoples, tropeiros, enslaved peoples, immigrants and other groups that participated in the formation of the municipality.

This perspective helps to broaden the understanding about the city. More than a sequence of dates and events, the story of Ponta Grossa is presented as a result of different social, economic and cultural processes.

The publication also dialogues with the theme adopted by the municipality in the celebrations of 203 years. In the civic parade held on September 15, more than 15,000 people followed the participation of more than 70 entities in Avenida Vicente Machado. The theme used was precisely “From the Route of the Tropeiros to the Paths of Innovation”. (Portal of the Attorney General’s Office)

A portrait of Ponta Grossa from yesterday, today and tomorrow

In addition to revisiting historical events, the texts published by the BnT seek to discuss the current challenges of the city.

Infrastructure, mobility, urban planning, sustainability, economic development, tourism, education, technology and innovation appear as parts of the same trajectory: the transformation of Ponta Grossa over more than two centuries.

In an article on urban development, Edgar Hampf addresses precisely the need to connect different regions of the municipality and points to initiatives such as the Caminos do Agro as part of the integration process between rural communities and the urban structure.

The contents on tourism and gastronomy show how traditional elements of the Campos Gerais can also be transformed into experiences, business and development opportunities.

BnT turns special series into historical record

With the publication of the book, the BnT Online transforms the special 203 year series into a record that goes beyond the journalistic coverage of the anniversary.

The work brings together different characters and sectors that help tell how Ponta Grossa reached 203 years of age and what are some of the issues that will be present in the next chapters of this story.

From the railroad to the railroad. From the trade-based economy to industry and logistics. From old routes to new paths of technology and innovation.

“Ponta Grossa 203 years: From the Route of the Tropeiros to the Paths of Innovation” presents precisely this trajectory: a city built on the paths of the past and that continues to seek new paths for the future.

The special series PG 203 YEARS remains available on the BnT Online, with the articles that make up the publication and different stories about the city.