Archivos de historia oral independientes en Italia

Founded in the late 1960s the Istituto Ernesto de Martino -although still suspicious for the academic scholarship and the bureaucracy still is the most important oral archive in Italy and perhaps in Western Europe. Including folk music, oral history, and events of political significance (demonstrations, rallies, meetings); at this point, the collection holds over 6.000 tapes and 16.000 recorded hours. The essay focuses in particular on the history and current situation of the Circolo Gianni Bosio, the independent local branch of the Istituto de Martino in Rome.