Re-examining Eritrean history through scholarship, archives, and lived memory.

29 Mar 2026

This episode on Eritrawi Podcast explores the evolution of literacy and print culture in Eritrea through the lens of early printed materials, private letters, and recent preservation efforts. Drawing on the work of historian Dr. Massimo Zaccaria and the Research and Documentation Center in Asmara, we examine a major digitization project that documented over 750 local titles printed between 1867 and 1941. Using a self-reliant, low-tech approach, this initiative demonstrates how cultural heritage can be preserved without dependence on external funding. The episode also traces a critical shift in written culture during the early 20th century. Military service in Libya exposed Eritrean askaris to new forms of communication, accelerating the use of private letters and photography. For the first time, individuals from subordinate social groups began documenting personal experiences in their own voices. These letters and printed materials mark a transition away from purely religious and administrative texts toward a more personal, lived archive one that allows us to reconstruct everyday life, emotion, and social dynamics in colonial Eritrea. Together, these sources reveal how fragile documents, often produced on cheap materials and nearly lost to time, have become essential tools for understanding the social and cultural history of Eritrea