Identity Statement

Reference Code

HU OSA 301-0-3

Title

Country Files

Date(s)

1957 - 1998

Description Level

Series

Extent and medium (processed)

289 Archival boxes, 36.12 linear meters

Content and Structure

Scope and Content (Abstract)

Materials in this series include press clippings, reports, media monitoring material, news agency releases, manuscripts, correspondence and publications.

The most voluminous series of this fonds deals largely with the censorship and general human rights situation in the respective countries. The state of the media, the various forms of censorship in arts, literature, media and education, as well as more general topics such as minority rights, immigration and religion are systematically covered and monitored.

Though all-encompassing and non-exclusive in its focus, Index seems to be, at least quantitativley, biased towards Europe and Central Asia: more than one third of the files deal with this region that by now includes all the former Soviet republics. The files on the Central and Eastern European dissent and opposition movements, especially those on banned arts, literature and thought, as well as some then unpublished manuscripts finely complement the huge samizdat collection of RFE/RL. Of major interest could be the complete media coverage (and some background information) relating to the publication of The Satanic Verses and the fatwa imposed on Salman Rushdie afterwards.

Accruals

Expected

Conditions of Access and Use

Conditions governing access

Unknown

Languages

English

Description Control

Archivist's note

Arranged by Andrea Farkas, November, 2002 - May, 2003; revised and described by Csaba Szilagyi, September-November, 2003.