Identity Statement

Reference Code

HU OSA 408-1-2

Title

Records of the Hungarian Communist Party (MKP) and Hungarian Workers' Party (MDP)

Date(s)

1945 - 1955

Description Level

Series

Extent and medium (processed)

2 Archival boxes, 0.25 linear meters

Context

Archival history

Documents in the series were collected by László Varga while doing his research. Original files of the Hungarian Communist Party (MKP) currently are in The Archives of Political History and of Trade Unions (PSZL, successor of the Archives of Party History), while the documents of the Hungarian Workers’ Party (MDP), created through the merge of two workers’ party in 1948 are kept in the National Archives of Hungary (MNL).

Content and Structure

Scope and Content (Abstract)

The series includes speech by guest speaker János Kádár at the March 1956 meeting of the Central Leadership of the Hungarian Workers’ Party (MDP). This speech lead to the establishment of the “Farkas Committee”.

Files of the Political Committee and of the Central Leadership include minutes of agenda of sessions, proposals and resolutions.

The rest of the series consists of documents of the Central Supervisory Committee (KEB). This body decided on disciplinary measures and exclusions from the party, which were important if a person was arrested in the power struggle in 1954 and 1955, as well as in later restoring membership through court order.

The archival finding aid on the history of the organization of the Hungarian Workers’ Party belong to the series too.

Files on the political police, as part of the party hierarchy, are included in the series.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

As opposed to state security files, party files survived to a large extent. As the State Security Authority and its predecessors were in fact under Communist Party control, copies of documents survived the original of which are nowhere to be found.

Accruals

Not Expected

System of arrangement

The series is arranged according to the organizational structure of the party, and within that chronologically.

Conditions of Access and Use

Conditions governing access

The general rules of research in OSA Research Room apply.

Conditions governing reproduction

A dokumentumok oktatási és kutatási célból digitálisan másolhatók az OSA kutatótermében.

Description Control

Archivist's note

Processed by László Varga, March 2, 2015.