Introduction: Historicizing the Master Archive (original) (raw)

This paper explores the concept of the 'master archive' within the framework of state power and violence, drawing on Jacques Derrida's ideas of 'archive fever' and 'archival violence.' It argues that control over archives entails not only the construction of knowledge and truth but also acts of violence against marginalized histories. The author contends that the production of archives is inherently political, shaping collective memory and identity while simultaneously excluding and silencing alternative narratives.