Identity Statement

Reference Code

HU OSA 408-1-5

Title

Documentation on Revisions of Show Trials

Date(s)

1941 - 1973

Description Level

Series

Extent and medium (processed)

7 Archival boxes, 0.88 linear meters

Context

Archival history

Original documents are kept in Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security (ÁBTL) and the National Archives of Hungary (MNL).

Content and Structure

Scope and Content (Abstract)

The show trials were reviewed by the communist regime itself, rehabilitating fully or partially the victims. The series includes the files of the revision of show trials against communists and collaborating leftist social democrats, as well as documents on rehabilitation from the court, the party and the government.

An especially important case in the series is the trial of László Rajk, one time minister of interior, and János Kádár, later secretary general of the communist party. Another interesting case is the files on Noel Haviland Field, Soviet spy and his wife: they were never tried owing to which Field’s original testimonies survived, together with the documents of their surveillance after release.

The series includes documents of the cases of László Sólyom Lieutenant General (the trial of generals in 1950 involving 60 military men, policemen and civilians) and of Árpád Szakasits, one time social democrat President of the Republic, as well as other cases such as procedures against members of AVH (State Security Authority) and collaborators (Major András Berkes, Ferenc Csont employee of the Center of the Monetary Institute, major Pál Bolgár). Furthermore, files of the planned prosecution of Zionists (the one time Jewish Council) and of military commander Béla Király (Military Academy) are in the series.

All of the original documents of investigations and trials were destroyed by the communist party leadership in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as a consequence of which these procedures are only known from the documents of the revisions in 1954. Eventually, some of the revision files were destroyed including János Kádár’s testimony in 1954 and the verdict.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

No destrcution took place in the course of processing.

Accruals

Not Expected

System of arrangement

General files are at the beginning of the series, then come the big trials chronologically and individual cases alphabetically.

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.