MEMORJA: Oral, Sound and Visual Archive
MEMORJA is the oral, sound and visual archive of the National Archives of Malta (NAM). Established in 2017, the Project’s mission statement is to engage different communities by utilising a bottom-up approach in safeguarding the life stories of people and groups who are underrepresented in the historical record.
MEMORJA employs advanced methods in oral history, ethnography and cutting-edge archival approaches to collect, record, transcribe, preserve and make accessible individual and shared histories passed on orally, visually and through sound.
MEMORJA’s oral history-trained staff and volunteers carry out continuous ethnographic fieldwork in the community, enriching the NAM’s holdings with a panoply of memories and recollections, personal photographs, documents, ephemera, artifacts, audio and video recordings and film reels which are generously donated, preserved and made available to all. The ubiquitous presence of our fieldworkers carrying out research and oral history interviews in the community has generated extensive friendships and a unique relationship of trust between the National Archives of Malta and the public.
Recollections related to war, agriculture, fishing, migration and industry abound. These private deposits have been further complemented with photographs and film recordings which offer a window into the past showing the change in both the physical and social landscapes of the Maltese Islands: the rhythm of daily life, personal milestones, community events, and even national gatherings.
In harnessing the diversity of marginalized memories, MEMORJA has been able to bring to the fore the long-forgotten community experiences and traditions, indigenous knowledge and shared historical events of the Maltese people through the media of voice, sound and film. This tangible and intangible heritage is shared on our platforms and can be accessed on our site
