About the Founder
Since childhood, I have felt a deep interest in history, archaeology, and genealogy. During my teenage years, that interest began to take shape through the stories shared by my great-grandfather, whose accounts conveyed the importance of preserving and valuing every historical event.
I still vividly remember those mornings spent on an old railway platform, our visits to a century-old locomotive that had been preserved for decades, and his reflections on the railway as a driving force behind human progress. Those memories awakened in me a profound curiosity about the past and laid the foundations for what has become my vocation as a historical researcher.
Over time, that early curiosity evolved into a systematic pursuit of knowledge. I formally began researching my family's ancestral history. Although I initially had very little information, I continued moving forward through family interviews, archival research, notarial records, parish and civil registers, as well as the exploration of digital repositories and specialized historical collections.
Genealogy, recognized as an auxiliary discipline of history, enables us not only to reconstruct family connections but also to better understand the social, economic, migratory, and cultural processes that have shaped communities throughout history. From this perspective, genealogical research extends far beyond the personal sphere, becoming a valuable tool for understanding our past and strengthening both individual and collective identity.
My work combines the study of historical documents, archival collections, civil and ecclesiastical records, architectural heritage, oral testimonies, and a wide range of documentary sources. By comparing and verifying these different forms of evidence, it becomes possible to reconstruct historical contexts and human experiences with greater accuracy, revealing the stories that have shaped successive generations.
Over the years, what began as a personal family investigation gradually developed into an international historical research project. The study of historical records, archival collections, documentary sources, and cultural heritage has made it possible to reconstruct stories that connect people, places, and generations across different countries and historical periods, demonstrating that memory has the power to transcend both borders and centuries.
This website was created to share the results of years of research, learning, and discovery with the wider community. My hope is that it will serve as a bridge between the past and the present, inspiring others to rediscover their roots, preserve their history, and value the legacy of those who came before them.
For me, learning is a lifelong commitment, and every new research challenge represents another opportunity to deepen our understanding of the past. Through this project, I hope to make a modest contribution to the community by offering a place where those who wish to preserve their history will find respect, guidance, and support.
My greatest aspiration is that present and future generations may discover their origins, better understand their identity, and keep the memory of their ancestors alive through time.
History continues through those who choose to preserve it.
Ezequiel O. Foster
Founder & Director
FOSTER History & Collective Memory