Archives in extreme contexts: wars and disasters

Evil, war, social conflicts, disruptions of order, persecution, natural disasters, and those caused by human action have long been linked to the violation of individual rights, the persecution of knowledge, and the fracturing of being, existence, presence, and possession. These evils are often carried out through the destruction and concealment of records and archives. The Horsemen of the Apocalypse–and the opening of the seals associated with their appearance (ah, the seal: that element which validates, authenticates, inspires trust, and guarantees confidentiality)–ride through contemporary societies; their horses continue to gallop over records, archives, and information. The analysis of the relationship between records and archives and the existence of conflict and destruction caused by natural, climatic, or human-induced disasters therefore remains an ongoing concern. These realities are addressed in this new issue of Tábula. This journal, dedicated to the study of current developments in and around archives, encounters on more than one occasion–as in this case–a past that persists in its relationship with records and archives.