Hungary has made a historic decision to release tens of thousands of communist-era police documents, allowing citizens to access information about informants and individuals who collaborated with the security services of that time, reports Reuters.The release of these documents is part of a pledge by Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar to grant access to information previously held in Budapest archives, in an effort to reckon with the country’s totalitarian past. The documents will become available to the general public on the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising.Although the communist era in Hungary ended back in 1989, there has until now been insufficient political will to fully release the documents. Previously, access to the full records was restricted to researchers, and ordinary citizens could only request information concerning themselves or immediate family members; now, however, anyone will be able to search for information in online databases. During the Cold War, secret police forces in Eastern European countries (such as the Stasi in East Germany or Hungary’s security services) relied on information from informants, who were often recruited through blackmail, threats, or the promise of payment. Between 1959 and 1989, approximately 55,000 informants were registered in Hungary. They monitored family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for signs of dissent or Western influence, and their reports frequently led to arrests and interrogations. Clandestine apartments located in Budapest’s Old Town served as meeting places for secret police officers and civilian informants.In the 1980s, informants frequently attended Budapest’s underground rock concerts—events that attracted young people and were viewed by the authorities as potentially dangerous to the regime. Péter Muller, still a prominent figure on the contemporary music scene, recalled how his band, Kontroll Csoport, performed the song “Informers and Provocateurs” in 1983; the lyrics explicitly addressed the issue of informants. The musician recounted how spotlights were subsequently turned on the audience, revealing a crowd of about 1,000 people looking around, trying to figure out who the informant might be.Muller was nearly expelled from college for his music, some of his concerts were banned, and he was interrogated by the police. His first punk rock band was named URH—the same as the radio frequency used by the state police—and it frequently became a target of police attention.Despite these memories, Muller has mixed feelings about the release of the documents after so much time. He told Reuters that the idea of offering the public catharsis and a chance for cleansing after such a long period makes him uncomfortable. He believes that people who have already died or are now living different lives should not be ostracized, humiliated, shamed, or punished.The documents from the former state security services, containing the names of 50,000 to 60,000 informants, are managed by the Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security (ABTL). The archive’s director, Bendegúz Gergő Cseh, praised the decision to make the documents public, calling it a historic step that goes further than anywhere else in the former Eastern Bloc. Poland opened its archives quite some time ago, but the public does not have the kind of unrestricted access to them that will be available in Hungary.The law adopted in Hungary in September states that understanding the past and ensuring the transparency of public institutions are essential prerequisites for the existence of a democratic state. The release of four different types of documents will take place in two stages, beginning on November 4. In some instances, the documents will be redacted to protect sensitive information, such as details regarding health status, addictions, and sexual orientation.Cseh emphasized that, both as an archivist and a historian, he believes it is inappropriate to pass judgment based solely on the contents of the documents. However, he also believes that the documents will enable a better understanding of life stories and allow for a more thorough confrontation with the past—not only for individuals but for society as a whole.
Hungary to make public communist-era informant files · BNN
