ESMA Museum as a Place of "Hot" Memory

Abstract

In this article, the object of research is the ESMA memorial Museum, organized in the former underground detention center, one of many belonging to the period of the "last" dictatorship in Argentina (1975-1983). The subject of study, in turn, were the properties of ESMA that evoke a response in the historical consciousness of society. As a theoretical basis, the article uses the concept of "hot" memory, proposed by the German researcher J. Assman. To answer the question of what makes the ESMA museum a place of "hot" memory, the author turns to the context of the transformation of ESMA into a museum space, analyzes its content, as well as the status of the object of memory policy. In addition to studying the basic techniques of working with memory used in ESMA, the author also examines the current assessments given by a number of other authors regarding the official policy of memory reflected in the activities of the museum. The observed tension in the context of the clash of different memory policies and approaches to its preservation allows the author to conclude that the ESMA museum remains a place of "hot" memory. Being a space of "experience" that focuses on evoking an emotional response from visitors, ESMA not only allows Argentines to reflect on their own past, but also reminds new generations of the value of human life and inalienable human rights.