Source of Nostalgia and Archival Recreation: The South African Hellenic Archive

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this article is twofold: to raise awareness of collective cultural heritage and identity and to promote the value of museum and archival material through a dynamic and appealing approach based on artistic inspiration and digital technology. The Maria Katrakis South African Hellenic Archive, officially established in Johannesburg in 1996, is used as a paradigm. It was chosen thanks to its successful development through certain progressive stages up to 2021 through which it has been defined as (1) a collective memory carrier; (2) a channel evoking nostalgia; (3) a promoter of cultural identity through public exhibitions; and (4) an agent for the advancement of knowledge through post-graduate studies and scholarly research and publications.