Archive and Historical Heritage

The archives have become more relevant in recent years, as they are no longer considered neutral repositories of information concerning the past. They have become a battleground for the contemporary world since their collections protect documents produced by state institutions, which citizens demand to challenge their predominance and the legitimacy of their actions over the social whole. Today, new conceptions have appeared about them, allowing institutions and social groups to develop a greater awareness of the vestiges of their daily activity - and the consequent extension of the concept of a document to non-written media - together with the gradual development of strategies and tools for their socialization and appropriation, opening the doors of premises previously reserved for specialists, either really or symbolically. In this sense, this dossier seeks to promote reflection and debate on the importance and meaning that archives give to current historiographic practice. Cover photo: Courtesy of Archivo Central Andrés Bello, Universidad de Chile.