Identity Statement

Reference Code

HU OSA 336-0-2

Title

Atlantic Research and Publication Related Files

Date(s)

1979 - 1996

Description Level

Series

Extent and medium (processed)

19 Archival boxes, 2.38 linear meters

Content and Structure

Scope and Content (Abstract)

This part of the Király papers consists of the documents relating to the establishment and work of the Atlantic Research and Publication Ltd. (ARP). The publishing house, whose founder and president was Béla Király, published numerous volumes in the field of East and Central European social, political and military history of the 18-20th century. In most cases the authors were highly reputed scholars and in many cases dissident thinkers from the region. ARP therefore played a role not only in revitalising scholarly discourse between the region and the English speaking world, but at the same time supported and promoted dissident political and scientific discourse within the region itself. ARP closely cooperated with Columbia University Press, the main distributor of the volumes in the United States, with other institutions, (University Press of America, UPA, Institut National des Langue et Civilisation Orientales, INALCO, Paris), and several Hungarian institutions and publishing houses.
The collection contains corporate records (legal documents, minutes, reports, data on circulation), correspondence relating to publishing projects, proposals, correspondence with the authors and editors, applications, documents relating to grant and publication projects. In many other things ARP was one of the institutions that organised research trips to the US for Hungarian dissident thinkers and politicians throughout the second half of the 1980s. János Kis, Ferenc Kőszeg, Gábor Demszky, Tibor Liska, Bálint Nagy, and other prominent figures of the Hungarian opposition were invited to the US by ARP. In this project ARP cooperated closely with Open Society Fund/Soros Foundation, and the Hungarian émigré circles in France, Péter Kende, László Rajk. In this way ARP also contributed to the development of Hungarian samizdat with logistical and financial support. ARP made available in English manuscripts, historical documents that were censored by the regime in Hungary - most importantly a collection of essays and documents of István Bibó.

Accruals

Not Expected

Conditions of Access and Use

Conditions governing access

Unknown

Languages

English, French, Hungarian

Description Control

Archivist's note

Processed by András Mink.