Weronika Zimoch

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

The Role of Archive and Working in it in Shaping the Identity of the HistorianArchivist Community Based on the Project of Creating The Oral History Archive of the Faculty of History of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

This paper aims to portray the role of archives and archival work in shaping the group identity of historians and their professional skills through the lens of the memories of the researchers working at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. The paper is an effect of the scientific project of reconstructing identity-forming factors based on the collected interviews with historians working in Toruń. The paper will first present the project itself and then the results connected with archives and their role as an identity-forming factor. Based on the gathered accounts of historians, it was noted that work in archives has greatly enriched their professional workshop. It has significantly eased working with historical sources and searching for them. In many cases, archival experience has also influenced historians in choosing their interests and career paths. Even though historians and archivists notice some flaws in working in archives, an argument can be made that this work is a positive memory for these historians. A good atmosphere and relationships in the workplace were also often deemed to be of importance. All these elements make the experience of the archive and working in it a crucial element influencing the sense of belonging to the historian-archivist community.