Critical Digital Humanities and Dark Tourism: Reimagining Materialities of Memory at the Aljube Museum
This article examines how Critical Digital Humanities can contribute to the creation of new materialities of memory within the field of Dark Tourism. Drawing on empirical research conducted at the Aljube Museum in Lisbon (Portugal), the study highlights a recurring tension between narrative and evidence. Focus groups revealed that some secondary school students expressed skepticism about the violence of the Estado Novo regime, while several citizens lamented the absence of tangible traces of repression. These reactions underscore a broader challenge in memory politics: when physical evidence is scarce or absent, museums risk failing to foster empathy, identification, and critical reflection among visitors. The article argues that this absence should be understood not only as a museological limitation but also as an opportunity for intervention through Critical Digital Humanities. By employing digital archives, immersive reconstructions, and critical visualizations, DH can generate new forms of materiality that make silenced histories visible and amplify marginalized voices. Framed through postcolonial perspectives the discussion emphasizes the need to resist erasure and to integrate colonial and subaltern experiences into memory work. Ultimately, the article demonstrates how Critical Digital Humanities can enrich Dark Tourism sites by bridging gaps between contested pasts and contemporary publics, offering new pathways for education, empathy, and social responsibility in post-authoritarian and postcolonial contexts.
Keywords: Critical Digital Humanities; Dark Tourism; Memory Politics; Estado Novo
