Identity Statement

Reference Code

HU OSA 398-0-2

Title

Transcripts of Witness Testimonies

Date(s)

1957

Description Level

Series

Extent and medium (processed)

6 Digital container, 0.01 linear meters

Context

Name of creator(s)

de Héderváry, Claire

Content and Structure

Scope and Content (Abstract)

The series consists of minutes ("Verbatim reports") of witness hearings organized by the UN Special Committee on the Problem of Hungary in Geneva, London, New York, Rome, and Vienna between January 28 and April 11, 1957.

Scope and Content (Narrative)

In its first months of its existence, the Special Committee relied especially on eyewitness testimonies. Hearings were organized during sessions of a few days each in Geneva (two sessions), London, New York, Rome, and Vienna. Most witnesses were heard in New York.

A total of 111 witnesses were heard, among them three prominent figures who escaped from Hungary during or after the Revolution: Anna Kéthly, State Minister in Imre Nagy's last government, Béla Király, Chief Commander of the National Guard (Nemzetőrség), and József Kővágó, General Mayor of Budapest. While these three witnesses were heard in open sessions, most others were heard in closed sessions. 81 witnesses were willing to testify only under condition of anonimity, so as to not endanger relatives still living in Hungary. The Special Committee assigned these witnesses aliases consisting of letters (i.e. Witness CC, or Witness JJJ). Since then, a number of witnesses have revealed their identity - this is duly noted in square brackets in the title of the item. Among them, Witness XXX: Gábor Magos, whose personal papers are also preserved by the Blinken OSA Archivum (HU OSA 416).

Towards the end of the Special Committee's existence, the Committee was requested to share the names of anonymous witnesses with the UN General Secretariat. Special Committee secretary Povl Bang-Jensen, however, was firmly against disclosing the names of Hungarian witnesses, even within the UN, as he feared that the information would be leaked to the Soviet delegation. It is believed that his death by gunshot to the head on Thanksgiving Day in 1959 was not a suicide, as the FBI hurried to file it amidst the turmoil caused by the violent death of the Special Committee's Secretary.

The content of the testimonies is very diverse. Testimonies cover virtually everything from politics, economics and society to details of everday life in Hungary prior to, during, and after the revolution. They provide a rare glimpse into the course of a popular uprising turned into revolution.

Some witness hearings were rather short, while others were extensive to the point that they had to be split in several sessions. Conversely, one session is often devoted to the hearing of two or more witnesses. One transcript ("Verbatim report") was drafted per session.

The language of the hearings was mostly Hungarian, with translation to/from English. Apart from a handful of transcripts in French, the verbatim reports in this series are in English.

Accruals

Not Expected

Conditions of Access and Use

Languages

English, French

Description Control

Archivist's note

Processed by József Bóné, Mark László-Herbert, and Csaba Szilágyi, October 22, 2024.