The 5th National Congress of Social Archives, organised by the Centre for Social Archiving, took place in Lublin from 29 September to 1 October 2023. This year’s celebration of social archivists and enthusiasts of grassroots recording of history was held under the slogan ‘History in voices’, and its main theme was oral history – recording conversations and individual human stories in which historical events are reflected.

“We want the recorded stories not to remain silent in archives, but to resound and be heard. This is why the slogan of the Congress is “History in voices”. We also hope that many people will be inspired to reach for the dictaphone for the first time,” said Joanna Łuba, deputy director of the Centre for Social Archival Studies.

The event’s partner was the Institute of Social Communication and Media Sciences of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), within whose walls the in-person part of the Congress took place. 

The event coincided with 30 September – Archivist Day, a holiday established by the Chief Director of the State Archives in 2019.