Notes from the General Archivist
Oral History: Part I
When I became general archivist two years ago, it became apparent
to me that I was very fortunate. A very gifted and capable archivist,
confrere Piet Winkelmolen, preceded me. During his many years
as general archivist, he developed a well-organized archival system
and was most conscientious about preserving the heritage of our
Order. He is a good example for all of us who follow him in the
work of archiving the records of our Order on the general, provincial
or local levels. We as an Order are also fortunate to have a state
of the art archive in Maaseik. Built within the last ten years,
these archives are well suited to preserve the records of our
Order and to be a rich source of material for present and future
historians.
As I view and work with these archives, it is obvious that we
have taken great care to preserve the written history of our Order
in this modern era (for us since 1840). The shelves of the archives
are filled with important documents of our community. Despite
this, I wonder if we are missing something. We are having success
at preserving the written history, but what about the oral history?
What is Oral History?
Oral history is the collected thoughts and recollections of
an individual about his or her past, solicited and recorded by
an interviewer and many times undertaken as a part of a larger
documentary project. While oral histories must be understood in
the context of their creation and of the lives and attitudes of
those interviewed, they can open new vistas to the historian and
throws light on once obscure historical processes.
In our modern world, many historians have come to know the value
of oral history as a supplement to the written record. Actually,
oral history goes back many centuries. For example, the Greek
historian Herodotus used personal interviews extensively for his
writings. The tradition of the oral history is also deeply rooted
in the epics, folktales and ballads of many cultures and societies.
I have heard many times, our confreres from Irian Jaya speak of
the oral tradition among the Asmat people. In fact, the oral tradition
is alive and well in many cultures and even in our own family
groupings. Verbal narratives are passed down from generation to
generation and serve to preserve the collective memories of our
families or cultures.
Experts tell us that "for a long time, however, modern historians
did not put much credence into these subjective, interpretive
accounts, preferring to rely on written records as documentary
evidence. It was not until the post-World War II era that a renewed
interest in oral history by ethnologists and historians emerged,
precipitated largely by the development of the tape recorder"
[from: http://http2.sils.umich.edu/HCHS/ORALHIST.html].
In the 1970's, the television movie and book, Roots, by Alex Haley
telling the story of his African ancestors, helped to highlight
the significance of oral history. Other contemporary examples
also illustrate the significance of oral history. Since August
1994 a group of Dutch historians has taken the initiative to constitute
a national archive of interviews with Dutchmen about their life
experiences in Indonesia during the late colonial period (1940-1962).
Recently this has resulted in the foundation of the Stichting
Mondelinge Geschiedenis Indonesië [their web site is: http://iias.leidenuniv.nl/institutes/kitlv/oralh.html].
Another significant oral history project is at the National Holocaust
Museum in Washington, DC, which collects and produces video and
audiotaped testimonies of Holocaust survivors, rescuers, liberators,
resistance fighters, prosecutors, perpetrators, and bystanders.
One can easily understand how these projects can provide a wealth
of information to historians and others.
Why Conduct Oral Histories?
Crosiers need to record oral histories. "Oral histories
comprise a form of primary source material about an individual's
experience that supplements personal letters and diaries when
doing historical research. Unlike official documents, oral histories,
through the tones, inflections and nuances of the spoken word,
convey emotions and feelings of the individual. They integrate
the personal, human experience into larger historical and sociological
accounts" [ibid.].
We are approaching, within ten years or so, a significant anniversary
of our Order. In 2010-2011, we will enter into our ninth century
as a religious community. Obviously, this is an opportunity to
reflect upon our history. Hopefully, many histories will be written
about our Order, provinces, and communities as we approach this
milestone. In this reflection we are reminded of the significant
events which have shaped our contemporary history: the spreading
of the Crosiers to new continents, the increase in membership
following the Second World War, the structuring of the Order into
provinces, the renewal after Vatican II, the writing of the new
Constitutions, the significant changes in religious life in the
70's and 80's. All of these events, and many others, are not just
a matter of record, they involve people and personal experiences.
Unfortunately, as we age there is a real danger that these significant
memories are lost. An oral history project in the Order can be
an important contribution to future historians and to future Crosiers.
Who can undertake Oral History projects?
I suggest that each province, as well as the proprovince and
regions of the Order, undertake oral history projects. Over the
next years, try to identify confreres who have a sense of the
history of your region and of the personages who have shaped your
respective province or community. These individuals can be trained
to conduct these important interviews. This is a first step.
In a future article, I will talk more about what resources are
available to those who are interested in doing oral history. In
fact, there are numerous books, articles, web sites, oral history
centers, and workshops that are readily available to us. If you
can't wait for this future article and want to find out more about
oral history, I have gathered some resources on the web site of
the Generalate.
