About Us

The Oral History Collective was initiated in Malang on 23 September 2023. Our work centers around the theme of disruptions and the emergence of new normalities in history. We are particularly interested in moments of crisis—such as war, revolution, and systemic violence—and how ordinary people navigate them. A strong sub-theme that connects many of our explorations is food: its production, adaptation, the emergence of new menus and diets, the reorganization of resources, and most importantly, the central role of women in sustaining households through food, especially during times of war and upheaval.

We ask:

    1. What is “normal”? Whose normality?
    2. How do people return to “normal” after a crisis?
    3. What innovations, inventions, and actors shape these new normalities?

We believe that the new normal is not a concept exclusive to Covid-19. Indonesia has experienced numerous disruptions throughout its modern history, and each crisis has produced its own version of what becomes “normal.” The period between 1940–1950, for example, saw a variety of dislocations and adaptive strategies during wartime and revolution. Oral history allows us to zoom in on these lived experiences, highlighting local interpretations of both disruption and continuity.
We also explore how normality is extended into heritage and memorialization practices—for instance, the colonial construction of tempo doeloe as a romanticized past. Our inquiry includes the contestation between state and society in shaping historical narratives and memories.

The collective aims to:

    1. Build a network of oral historians across institutions, making oral history not just a research method, but also a framework and critical approach in historical analysis.
    2. Collaborate with institutions such as Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Negeri Malang, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (KITLV), Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie (NIOD) and Utrecht University (UU)
    3. Serve as a platform for archiving interviews and making them accessible for further use.
    4. Encourage integration with history education, by developing oral history-based learning tools—such as student assignments focused on family or community histories. This includes outreach to history teachers, in and beyond Indonesia.

Founding Contributors
UGM: Abdul Wahid
UM: Indah Utami and Aditya Widiadi
UKSW: Galuh Ambar Sasi
KITLV: Henk Schulte Nordholt
NIOD: Eveline Buchheim
Utrecht University: Grace Leksana
Temporary Coordinators: Abdul Wahid and Grace Leksana

Our Activities
In 2024, the collective initiated a roundtable on oral history at AAS-in-Asia (11 July 2024). The session was titled “Oral History: Changing Practices in Unsettling Times”, and featured two panels:
Part I: Approaches, Evolution, and New Media
Part II: Education, Movements, and Transformations

In 2025, we continue our commitment with two new collectives. Recalling the Survivors’ Memories is the first.