“There is an expression: “Old World Blues”. It refers to those obsessed with the past; they cannot see the present but sometimes see into the future. They stare into what-was, eyes like pilot lights, guttering and spent, as the realities of their world continue around them. Science is a long, steady progression into the future. What may seem a sudden event often is not felt for years, even centuries to come”. These words strongly resonate with every archivist. It is not often discussed that archivists, besides being the keepers of memory, are often creators of those memories for the future.

Jacques Derrida, in his writings, refers to this aspect of the archives as “messianism” that bounds the archive (and, by extension, an archivist) to an experience of fulfilling the promise. In other words, Derrida claims that archives are open to the future and that the future is the intended place for them, not the past, as many are easy to tie them to. Archivists’ choice of what to preserve and how to describe material imposes values set in the future. Certain authors described archivists as one of the most influential figures in creating identity politics.

In professional definitions, archivists like to portray themselves as almost neutral, objective, third-party spectators who are impartial. However, this is a fault. The perspective of archivists existing in archives and their manipulation of materials offers a position of power. The lack of inquiry into how archives are created and who are their creators only strengthens the myth of objectivity and neutrality of archives and archivists.

Most often, the critique of studies of “the archive” given by archivists themselves is that authors researching the meaning of the archives often do so metaphorically without any understanding of archiving as a real profession with its own theories, practices, and methodologies. Archivists’ tasks are often portrayed as menial, and their role in memory creation is neglected. In studies dedicated to the role of emotions in archives, we are mainly faced with philosophical questions concerning the power relations in the control of the archive.

In approaching the study of emotions in archival practice, I’ve taken the methodological framework of “emotional practices” developed by Monique Scheer. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, Scheer further develops a model of historical changes in emotion occurring. She empathizes that body is situated, trained and historical. Scheer focuses on mobilizing, naming, communicating, and regulating emotion for emotional practices. “Emotions do not pit their agency and autonomy against ours; they emerge from the fact that subjectivity and autonomy are always bounded by the conditions of their experience, by the fundamental sociability of the human body and self.”  This approach gives methodological implications when studying archivists as physical bodies intertwined within the social structure and producing the emotional experience.

In my efforts to shed light on how archivists perceive their role in creating and shaping the future and memories, I’ve spoken with five archivists engaged in creating and maintaining the archival funds. The focus was kept on the feelings and experiences that arise from actions and decisions when choosing between what records will be preserved, as well as the consciousness of the framework within which the archivists are operating, which determines the importance of a material that will become an archive.

This article tries to further develop introspection on the role of the archivists and their experience not only as the keepers of memory and as creators of those memories. The emotional interplay during these processes is an essential factor that should not be overlooked.

After finishing a BA in History at the University of Belgrade, Serbia (2011), I’ve completed my MA in Ancient Greek and Roman History and Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia (2014) and MA in Comparative History at Central European University, Budapest, Hungary (2020) focusing on the History of Technology and Science and History of Yugoslavia. During my MA studies, I completed the specialization in Archives and Evidentiary Practices at OSA Vera and Donald Blinken Archives, Budapest. 

I’ve worked as an archivist in the Historical Archives in Kikinda, Serbia (2012-2019), focusing on preserving damaged documents and creating analytical registries. Currently, I am a doctoral student at Central European University in Vienna, Austria.