Security Services Archive
Web portal about Jan Palach
Website janpalach.cz (janpalach.eu), incurred as a result of the multimedia project of Charles University, were launched on 16 January 2012. Partners in this project are the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, Security Services Archive and other institutions. Various commemorative events are held on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Jan Palach’s act. In the main building of Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague you can see an exhibition „Jan Palach’69“.
Website present the life story of Jan Palach, a student of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague who set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square on 16 January 1969.
Přidáno: 16.01.2012
Security Services Archive to release documents of The Ministry of National Security from 1950–1954
The documents of former Ministry of National Security were transfered to the Security Services Archive from the National Archives on December 7, 2011...
Přidáno: 15.12.2011
Platform of European Memory and Conscience to be established in Prague during the summit of the Prime ministers of the Visegrad group
Prague, September 29, 2011 - Heads of 19 partner institutions and organisations specialised in the subject of totalitarian history from 13 EU member states will sign the founding document of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience in Prague on 14 October, 2011. The ceremony, which will take place in the presence of Prime minister Petr Nečas and Vice-President of the European Parliament László Tökés, is an accompanying event of the summit of the Prime ministers of the Visegrad group...
Přidáno: 07.10.2011
The main motive for the establishment of the Security Services Archive was to concentrate and expertly organize materials of all security services of the former totalitarian regimes in Czechoslovakia. Its qualified processing and rendering documents accessible to the wide circle of interested parties can decisively contribute to the comprehension of the mechanisms on which the Communist regime was built and help prevent biased explanations of historical events.
Pursuant to Act No. 181/2007 Coll., the Archive holds documents created by the activities of Security Services, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and the organization of the National Front acting in these forces during the period from April 4, 1945 through February 15, 1990. The greatest number of archival materials (approx. 17 km) comes from the Department of Security Services of the Ministry of the Interior, while other materials (approx. 2 km) originate from a number of departments: the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (including Military Intelligence), the Ministry of Justice, the Security Information Service, and the Office for Foreign Relations and Information.
Functions of the Security Services Archives
- ensures access to and makes public documents and archival material concerning the security services;
- ensures access to documents and archival materials and provides needed assistance and information to state bodies authorized to access security proceedings and to investigate according to the Act on the protection of classified information, to the Czech Republic’s intelligence services in the fulfillment of their duties, and to investigative, prosecuting and adjudicating bodies for the purposes of criminal proceedings;
- facilitates the viewing of deposited archival materials based on the terms established by the Act on archival activity and record services and the Act on ensuring access to files of the ensuing activities of State Security (StB);
- retrieves from the deposited archival material documents required by state administrative bodies, territorial self-administration units and legal and natural persons, and makes copies and transcripts thereof;
- makes decisions regarding archival administrative procedures and record services.