Sustainability
What was accomplished within the Project and will it continue to grow?
– An archival community connected better than before – local and international networks of archival professionals.
– Local stakeholders, from both archival institutions and community organizations, involved in activities at the international level.
– Collaboration mostly achieved online; as well as most of outputs delivered online.
– Archival practices established in a manner that will enable their continuing development.
Spanish State Archives
A key sustainability measure of the AToM (Archives and Traces of Migration) project, especially in relation to the Spanish State Archives, has been the comprehensive update of information within the framework of the Ibero-American Migration Movements portal (https://pares.mcu.es/MovimientosMigratorios/lang.form?lang=en). This update is designed to support an extensive community of users who rely on the portal, particularly the descendants of emigrants from Spain to Latin American countries between the end of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century. It has been expanded with a section on sources on Spanish emigration to European countries in the second half of the 20th century. For many of these individuals, locating archival documents related to their ancestors not only offers a meaningful connection to their heritage and their past, but also, in some cases, grants them access to civil rights, including the right to citizenship in certain countries, in line with applicable legislation. This enhancement ensures that the portal continues to be a valuable resource, fostering both cultural and administrative access for individuals tracing their ancestral roots.
Further information available at: https://pares.mcu.es/MovimientosMigratorios/lang.form?lang=en
State Archives in Bjelovar, Croatia
Cooperation with the Czech National Minority as an Exemplary Model for Collecting Archival Material on Migration in the State Archives in Bjelovar
The cooperation of the State Archives in Bjelovar with the organization “Češka obec Bjelovar” on the AToM project represents an innovative model for collecting and preserving archival material related to minority communities, with a special focus on the documentation of migrations and the preservation of Czech minority’s cultural heritage. This model consists of several key components:
1. Cooperation between archivists and the community: The State Archives and members of “Češka obec Bjelovar” have established cooperation that enables the identification, evaluation and preservation of important cultural material. This process included a detailed review of existing documents, instructions on keeping records of the material, as well as advising community members on the proper preservation of the material.
2. Collection of private material: We organized the collection of private documents held by community members, such as photographs and personal memories of migration to Croatia from Czechia, which helped us document experiences that are not usually recorded in public archives.
3. Recording oral testimonies: Our interview with Miroslav Uhlir, whose family members attended a Czechoslovak primary school, allowed for the recording of personal stories that enrich the cultural identity of the community.
4. Digitization and public accessibility: The collected material has been uploaded to the Topoteka Bjelovar digital platform, which makes it available to the public for research and leaving comments.
5. Connecting with special book collections: The “Češka obec Bjelovar” community gave us their collection of books written in Czech, which has now become available to scholars and the general public as part of the Special Library of the State Archives.
This model of cooperation allows for not only the preservation of important material, but also the strengthening of community identity by acknowledging and evaluating their cultural heritage. It also provides archivists with insight into the personal stories behind the documents, and helps community members see the significance of their cultural contribution.
