No Privileged Past—Acquisition Revisited

Abstract

How can we, as archivists, make legitimate acquisition choices for the society of which we are part? How should we decide on what to keep? (I) Archives in the Netherlands are, historically, predominantly the domain of the state infrastructure. The state is in origin an intertwining of religious and secular authority. In order to understand the changing contexts, I elaborate upon the historical dimension of the particular relationship between the ‘public’ and ‘private’ sector in the Netherlands. (II) In recent years the configuration of authority in Dutch society has become more complex; the act of governing and the interaction between authorities and the governed has changed. The border between ‘public’ and ‘private’ is shifting. Archival legislation, which still focuses on public records, cannot ignore the growing importance of private records in the fabric of society's archival memory. What is the essence of a ‘public record’ (and hence ‘public archival record’) when the public sector itself is constantly changing? (III) I consider the notion of conflict between ‘us and them’ as a useful sensitizing concept for identifying the ever changing idea of ‘what is important’ in society. A historical-sociological point of view helps to define key issues in contemporary society.

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