Experiencing the Archive: An Autoethnographic Impression

Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange

doi:10.25159/2412-4265/12522

Authors

Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9910-6988

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2412-4265/12522

Keywords:

Autoethnography, Life Writing, Agency, historiography, archive theory

Abstract

This essay offers two things: First, an autoethnographic outline and analysis of an experience of the archive and its role in historiography. The framework for this analysis consists of various themes from archival theories, notably the archive as a place of passage and the vulnerability of the archive. Second, it points to possible gaps in its current theorisation. The author shows that the noted two themes were well present in the experience of the archive, as well as in the process of biographical writing. However, experiences of emotion and the recovery of agency do not currently fit into this framework. These phenomena are recommended for further research and theorisation. Moreover, their possible role for (church) historians is considered.

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