Filing the World: Archives as Cultural Heritage and the Power of Remembering.

This article analyzes the relationship of archives to law and history, taking a critical look at the complex interplay between preservation, memory, and forgetting. Going beyond the idea of the archive as fixed and immovable, the article considers the archive in its dynamism, its chronological evolution, and its changing relations to both the state and the private individual. The article draws on examples from both national legislation and international bodies to highlight different problems arising from crucial dichotomies. The case of Italy shows how the significance of archives oscillates between historical and administrative; the French case underlines the clash between state secrecy and public access; and English-speaking countries bring about a discussion on the contrasts between private and public property. Cases of national as well as international bodies provide examples of archives’ relationship to memory and oblivion, as well as of global and local management. The article considers how the establishment of dedicated institutions, guidelines, and constraints shapes the process of document preservation and access, enabling or frustrating the dissemination of historical awareness, administrative transparency, and human rights recognition.