Open Society Archives
The Open Society Archives at CEU (OSA), established in 1995, saves, processes and makes publicly available the materials of the Research Institute of the legendary “enemy” radios: Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. OSA’s collection has since expanded to become one of the largest archives on communism and the Cold War, with one of the most significant human rights materials collection in the region.
OSA’s material includes:
- transcripts of the official radio (and some television) broadcasts in the former communist countries monitored between 1950 and 1994
- subject files (within each country collection): thematic collections of articles of both daily, weekly and monthly publication issued in each country as well as respective news agency releases and RFE/RL publications between 1949 and 1994
- biographical files (within each country collection): including press clippings relating to public and well-known figures, such as politicians, comrades, journalists or artists, but also local party workers, heads of factories, collective farms and brigades; as well as teachers and sportsmen
- RFE/RL publications: including Background Reports and Situation Reports and the news bulletins and in-house analyses prepared for the program editors
- Information Items collected between 1951-1972: interviews conducted with anonymous immigrants and defectors in Western refugee camps and immigration offices or with Western travelers coming back from behind the Iron Curtain.
- a substantial collection of illegal independent publications (samizdat) of the Soviet (6,000 items) and Polish (2,000 items) underground movements.
In addition, OSA is an educational, research and documentation center operating archival courses and public programs. Film screenings are also staged, and exhibitions are regularly held with the active participation of the CEU community and the local public.
Research in the archives is free and open to all. The Research Room is equipped with computers, microfilm readers and a wide selection of handbooks and journals.