The Documentation Center of the Museu Industrial da Arco Ribeirinho Sul, S.A., has as its mission the safeguarding, organization, and dissemination of information related to industrial heritage.

Among its defined objectives, the Documentation Center promotes access to the study of its existing collections, thus contributing to the preservation of the historical memory of the territory in its various thematic dimensions, such as industrial, economic, and social, among others.

The Documentation Center complements the activity of the Industrial Museum which, through its permanent exhibition, tells the story of the largest chemical industry complex in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the largest in Europe throughout the entire 20th century. The Industrial Museum is open to the public by prior appointment and offers guided visits to the educational community and the general public.

The Documentation Center holds a diverse documentary collection, which includes in particular:

• Plans and technical drawings: factory and industrial equipment projects;

• Business documentation: management records, accounting, correspondence, and human resources;

• Specialized archive: technical journals in the fields of energy, textiles, mechanics, safety, among others;

• Photographic archive: records of production areas (Fertilizers, Oils, Textiles, Energy and Fluids), social services (holiday camp, workers’ housing, daycare center, and healthcare units), institutional activities (inaugurations and visits), aerial photographs, and management documentation;

• Internal publications: collections of institutional magazines from C.U.F. and Quimigal, as well as advertising catalogs;

• C.U.F. Sports Group: documentation related to the various sports practiced within the C.U.F. universe and its cultural activities.

Inaugurated in 2006, the Documentation Center of the South Riverside Arc, S.A., originated from a collection of technical books from the C.U.F. Documentation Center in Barreiro.

Since 2015, the Documentation Center’s collection has been progressively enriched with documents and objects as part of the safeguarding of technical and industrial heritage, establishing itself as a reference resource for the study of the economic, social, and technological transformations of the 20th century in Portugal.

Services and Access

• On-site consultation: free access to documents and works in the reading room;

• Research support: technical assistance in identifying and selecting relevant sources;

• Document reproduction: the possibility of requesting copies, in accordance with conservation standards and copyright regulations.