연구자와 시민 사이 －공공기관의 서울사 확산－

Abstract

Recently, not only is the public's interest in history increasing, but the public is also actively involved in producing history itself. In addition to the quantitative expansion of historical research in academia, researchers are responding to public demands in the form of advice and appearances in the production process of media content, including historical dramas, entertainment shows, and documentaries. Seoul, a capital city with 2000 years of history, is a space that is home to a plethora of historical content, and "Seoul history" is the subject of the most actively consumed history by the public. The Seoul Museum of History and its affiliated museums and exhibition halls are participating in the historical and cultural facilities of Seoul for domestic and foreign citizens. Furthermore, urban renewal, urban development, and the restoration of cultural relics in Seoul is directly related to the everyday lives of those living there. As such, the role of public institutions at the junction of researchers and citizens is important for the proper expansion and reproduction of Seoul history in this particular area of ​​public history. One of the institutions in charge of this role is the Seoul Historiography Institute. Founded in 2015, this institution has its roots in the City History Compilation Committee of Seoul. In 1949, the year after the establishment of the Korean government following the Republic of Korea’s liberation, the city of Seoul established the City History Compilation Committee of Seoul Regulations for the purpose of collecting and compiling historical data. Since 1954, in order to formally share the history and culture of Seoul both at home and abroad, this institution has been conducting projects for discovering, collecting, and organizing data and information, as well as publishing and compiling academic journals on Seoul. Beginning in the 2000s, the institution began more actively playing an intermediary role between researchers and citizens through educational activities such as lectures and site visits for citizens, the publication of various popular books, the collection of oral materials, and the publication of other compilations. The Seoul Historiography Institute is tasked with meeting the needs of public institutions, researchers, and citizens, and to spread the history of Seoul. As such, it is necessary to seek ways to further expand the collection, investigation, and research of data on Seoul’s history, which is the fundamental role of the institution. It is not only necessary to pay attention to data from overseas by exploring and researching US and European archives, but also to prepare a plan for effectively storing the data acquired during the compilation process and for allowing citizens to access it. In addition, it is necessary to go beyond passively reflecting the results of Seoul history research conducted in academia and to promote research in related fields by identifying new topics with appropriate timing and academic merit. At the same time, it is necessary to plan and operate various historical and cultural contents considering the socially disadvantaged and applications of new media by understanding the rapidly changing flow of society. Lastly, in order for the Seoul Historiography Institute, which has a large number of materials on Seoul history and culture, to be used conveniently by more researchers and citizens, it is necessary to secure the public nature of the database, such as by establishing a database and digital archiving. In this way, it will be possible to lay down a new foundation for the future records of Seoul’s history.