Metadata: Records of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute, Czechoslovak Unit
Collection
- Country:
- Hungary
- Holding institution:
- Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Vera és Donald Blinken Nyílt Társadalom Archívum
- Postal address:
- Arany János u. 32, 1051 Budapest, Hungary
- Phone number:
- 36-1-327-3250
- Web address:
- https://osaarchivum.org/
- Email:
- info@osaarchivum.org
- Reference number:
- Sub-fond HU OSA 300-30
- Title:
- Records of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute, Czechoslovak Unit
- Creator/accumulator:
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute
- Date(s):
- 1951/1994
- Language:
- Czech
- English
- French
- German
- Hungarian
- Slovak
- Extent:
- 1 Archival card box; 0.32 linear meters; 237 Rolls of 16 mm microfilm in microfilm cabinet; 5.45 linear meters; 193 Rolls of 35 mm microfilm in microfilm cabinet; 9.65 linear meters; 1746 Archival boxes; 218.25 linear meters
- Type of material:
- Textual Material
- Microfilm reels
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The sub-fond contains material (press clippings, news agency releases, transcripts of the Czechoslovak Monitoring, Biographical and Subject Card files, Press Surveys, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Research Papers and background analyses, index cards, emigre publications, posters and leaflets) collected by research specialists and analysts at the Czechoslovak Unit of the RFE/RL Research Institute. Originating from unofficial and non-public but mainly reliable sources (interviews with refugees, escapees, dissidents), Information Items in microfilm format from 1950 until 1956 and on paper from late 1960's have a special value among the records. Extensive is the information related to agriculture, armed forces, Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, political parties and opposition, economy, culture, industry and state apparatus, security, ecology, social issues, foreign relations and biographies of both Czechoslovak and foreign personalities.
Materials concerning Jewish history and culture can be found in 30 folders dispersed throughout 7 archival series out of 37 series that the sub-fond contains. This material informs about lives of Jewish communities in socialist Czechoslovakia (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, ČSSR), Czech Republic and Slovakia from 1967 to 1993. 1) Archival series HU OSA 300-30-2 Old Code Subject Files I contains 7 folders with information about the religious life of Jews in socialist Czechoslovakia, 1951-1961, through the lens of Czechoslovak and foreign press. 2) Archival series HU 300-30-3 Old Code Subject Files II contains 1 folder that informs about Jews in socialist Czechoslovakia in 1962-1966. 3) Archival series HU 300-30-5 Old Code Subject Files IV contains 5 folders that inform about the religious life of Jews and Judaism in socialist Czechoslovakia, 1967-1971. 4) Archival series HU 300-30-6 Old Code Subject Files V contains 2 folders that inform about the religious life of Jews and Judaism in socialist Czechoslovakia, 1972-1975. 5) Archival series HU 300-30-7 Old Code Subject Files VI contains 4 folders that inform about the religious life of Jews and Judaism in socialist Czechoslovakia, 1976-1987. 6) Archival series HU 300-30-8 Old Code Subject Card Files contains 1 folder that informs about the religious life of Jews and Judaism in socialist Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1951-1993. 7) Archival series HU 300-30-9 New Code Subject Files contains 10 folders that inform about the social aspect of Jewish communal and secular lives in socialist Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1971-1992.
- Archival history:
- The sub-fond was transferred to the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives in May 1995 under the initial mandate to preserve over 2.5 linear kilometers of documents accumulated in the archives of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Research Institute.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Czechoslovak Unit was established as part of the RFE/RL Research Unit in order to collect and prepare for publication information and analytics about ongoing affairs and developments in socialist Czechoslovakia. Establishment of the RFE/RL was related to informational confrontation in the Cold War. The material was processed and revised at the Blinken OSA in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002.
- Access points: locations:
- Slovakia
- Subject terms:
- Jewish community
- Jewish daily life and religious practices
- System of arrangement:
- The sub-fond includes 30 series systematized according to legacy structure of the sub-fond.
- Access, restrictions:
- Reproduction is allowed for non-commercial purposes.
- Finding aids:
- The catalog (folders/items level) is available online.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://catalog.osaarchivum.org/catalog/jDen7Y1B
- Yerusha Network member:
- Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
- Author of the description:
- Anastasia Felcher; Blinken OSA; 2022 based on Jirina Smejkalova, Erika Molnar, Lajos Ludman; Blinken OSA; 1996; 1997; 1998; Pavol Salamon; Blinken OSA, 2000; 2002.