Archives

CountryOrganizationCollectionFondDescriptionURL
United StatesAmerican Hungarian Foundation (Amerikai Magyar Alapítvány) Museum, New Brunswick, New JerseyBethlen CollectionARCH.1One of the oldest and largest archival collections in the United States with a Hungarian focus, it covers the period from the 18th century to 1997. It contains a wide variety of source material on Hungarian immigration, Hungarian-American historical and cultural relations, and the life of the Hungarian diaspora. A large part of the collection is ecclesiastical: documents from (Protestant) church congregations and various religious, fraternal, political and cultural (corporate) organisations are included. In addition, the papers and legacies of church leaders, public figures and artists can be researched. https://libguides.rutgers.edu/ld.php?content_id=13708241#N10000
United StatesRutgers University Libraries, Special Collections & University ArchivesTracy S. Voorhees PapersMC 1407, Box K & L: Records of the President's Committee for Hungarian Refugee ReliefPresident Eisenhower appointed a committee to help resettle refugees from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Between November 1956 and April 1957, 32,000 refugees came through Camp Kilmer, NJ (now on the Livingston Campus of Rutgers) and found new homes and jobs in the US through the work of the Committee. After his service as Chair, Voorhees took home two boxes of its records and these eventually came to Rutgers with the rest of his papers. The records include correspondence, statistics, and newspaper clippings that document the planning, procedures, and results of refugee processing.http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/ead/manuscripts/tvoorheesf.html
United States"Arpádhon" Hungarian Settlement Museum, Albany, LouisianaThe collection of materials related to the settlement of Árpádhon and its residents.The autobiographical and personal records of twelve Hungarian refugees of '56 who found a home in the settlement of Árpádhon. Documentation of life in the settlement: documents, photographs, videos, objects.http://www.magyars.org/

https://hungarianmuseum.com/
United StatesCleveland Hungarian MuseumManuscript, book, newspaper, and photo collectionCurrently not open for research, under cataloguing.https://clevelandhungarianmuseum.org
United StatesThe Hungarian Archives of the American Hungarian Library and Historical Society (Hungarian House, New York)Digitial photo and documents collectionThe Hungarian Archives is a free, curated, digital online archive created by the American Hungarian Library and Historical Society for the purpose of collecting mainly amateur pre-digital era photos, documents, and other materials of interest to record the histories and lives of Hungarians living around the globe, their communities and their organizations.https://www.hungarianarchives.org/
United StatesEisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood HomeAz Amerikai Elnök Menekülteket Segélyező Bizottságának iratanyaga és az amerikai kormányzathoz beérkező levelezésFiles of The President's Committee for Hungarian Refugee Relief.A common governmental organization what helped the resettlement and social interactions (like requests, offers, media, statements etc.), founded by President Eisenhower.https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/finding-aids/pdf/us-presidents-committee-for-hungarian-refugee-relief.pdf
United StatesHoover Institute Library and Archive, Stanford UniversityFirst Aid for Hungary segélyszervezet irattári hagyatéka 57014-9.12An American refugee aid organization. The honorary president of the First Aid for Hungary was Herbert Hoover. http://pdf.oac.cdlib.org/pdf/hoover/reg_137.pdf
United StatesNational Archives and Records AdministrationRecord Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization ServiceHungarian Refugee Program Subject Files, 1956–1961This series consists of memorandums, reports, affidavits, letters, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The materials pertain to the Hungarian Emergency Refugee Program established in the wake of the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising. Within the records are statistical and personal information about Hungarian refugees, as well as considerable information about the Hungarian Workers' Party (Magyar Doloyozok Partja), the Hungarian Border Guards (Hatar Orseg), the Hungarian Communist Party (Magyar Kommunista Partja), and the National Council of Trade (Szakszervezetek Orszagos Tanacsa). Other subjects include the issuance of visas and attendant allegations of fraud, the harassment of refugees by the Hungarian Government, the administration of Camp Kilmer (initial housing center for the refugees), and the testimony of witnesses before the United Nations Committee Concerning Hungarian Refugees.https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4319786
United StatesNational Archives and Records AdministrationRecord Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization ServicePassenger Manifests of Military Air Transport Service Flights Departing from Newark, New Jersey, November 20, 1956–November 30, 1957This series consists of Military Air Transport Service (MATS) passenger list forms, which include the passenger's name, pay grade, citizenship, age, gender, "air movement destination," service/passport number, customer identification number (nature of which is not indicated), and number of pieces of baggage. The date of departure and aircraft destination are also noted. The passenger manifests indicate these persons were "tourist class" under immigration laws.https://catalog.archives.gov/id/3255135
United StatesNational Archives and Records AdministrationRecord Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization ServicePassenger Manifests of Hungarian Refugees Arriving on Airplanes at New York, New York, January 1957–April 1958Digitized and available on Ancestry.com. Also known as Other title:Passenger Manifests ("Nominal Rolls") of Hungarian Refugees Arriving on Airplanes at New York, New York.https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2848423
AustraliaAustralian National ArchiveImmigration and Citizenship Records of the Australian GovernmentThe registration of immigrants from 1901, with several documents related to Hungarians, there are records of Hungarian refugees between 1921 and 1961, with a significant portion related to the Hungarian emigration wave of 1956.
AustraliaAustralian National LibraryThe Hungarian publications and periodicals with an Australian focus that are held in the library include magazines such as "Magyar Élet," "Dél Keresztje," "Ausztráliai Magyarság," "Sydney-i Magyar Élet" (1956-1978), "Magyar Szó," and "Magyar Sport." These magazines contain short news items, reviews, and announcements related to the lives of Hungarian expatriates.
AustraliaAustralian National UniversityBooks and publications related to Hungarian life and culture can be found here, including "Ausztráliai Magyarság" and "Magyar Harangok." A portion of Egon Kuncz's research material, which includes a questionnaire sent to 56 Hungarian emigrant professionals, is also available.
AustriaAustrian National ArchiveMinutes of the Council of MinistersÖStA AdR BKA MRP Raab II.It enables the exploration of international aspects of refugee assistance.
AustriaAustrian National ArchiveThe documents of the Austrian Embassy in Budapest. ÖStA AdR BKA AA UngarnIt enables the exploration of international aspects of refugee assistance.
AustriaAustrian National ArchiveThe documents of the Federal Chancellery.ÖStA AdR BKA ung. Flüchtl.A modest independent collection on Hungarian refugees.
AustriaAustrian National ArchiveThe documents of the Ministry of Defense.ÖStA AdR BMLVThey provide insight into the mobilization of the army (ÖStA AdR BMLV 353.380-II/GZ/56) and the process of refugee assistance.
AustriaAustrian National ArchiveThe documents of the Ministry of Education.ÖStA: AdR BMU 10B1, 10D2 és 13B1-M.You can find information here about the education-related issues of refugees.
AustriaMany of the documents related to Hungarian refugees from 1956 at the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior were disposed of before 1990. Therefore, alternative sources are needed for the reconstruction of internal affairs measures (border protection, refugee assistance, integration). The most effective approach is to research documents at the provincial level. So far, systematic exploration has been carried out regarding the documentation related to Hungarians from 1956 by the governments of Vorarlberg (VLA VLR), Styria (StLA), Tyrol (TLA), and Lower Austria (NöLA).
AustriaVogelsang InstitutThe documents of Franz Grubhofer, the State Secretary for Internal Affairs.The documents of the former State Secretary for Internal Affairs are preserved at the institute in Vienna that holds the records of the Austrian People's Party. These documents provide insight into the activities of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior at that time.
AustriaAustrian Red Cross
AustriaCaritas Austria
IrelandIrish National ArchiveThe records of the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister's Office).The documents of the inter-ministerial committee that monitored the situation of Hungarian refugees in 1957-1958 are available for study.
IrelandHouse of Oireachtas online archívumaMinutes of the Parliamentary debatesThe transcripts of Irish parliamentary debates concerning Hungarian refugees are available online on the Irish parliament (Oireachtas) website (oireachtas.ie).https://www.oireachtas.ie/
HungaryHungarian National Archive, National Archive (MNL OL)The collections of the Hungarian National Archives, National Archives of Hungary, Budapest - fonds of the Hungarian embassy in Vienna, secret and general documents (MNL OL: XIX-J-1-j/k, Austria) - allow for the analysis of Hungarian perspectives on the Austrian refugee crisis and the activities of the repatriation committee in Austria.
HungaryHungarian National Archive, National Archive (MNL OL)In the diplomatic material of the National Archives of Hungary, Central Archives (MNL OL: XIX-J-1-j/k, Yugoslavia), one can gain insight into the relationship between the two countries and the activities of repatriation committees through administrative and confidential diplomatic documents related to Yugoslavia.
HungaryPetőfi Literary Museum (PIM)Manuscript collection: Personal materials of Hungarian emigrant writers and intellectuals, as well as institutional and collective document collections.In the Manuscript Collection of the Petőfi Literary Museum (PIM), you can conduct research on the publications like the Munich Új Látóhatár, the Parisan Irodalmi Újság, the Parisan Magyar Műhely, the London Magyar Írók Szövetsége Külföldön, the Swiss Magyar Irodalmi és Képzőművészeti Kör. The collection also includes editorial correspondance from Új Európa and Új Látóhatár as well as the archival documentation of London's Szepsi Csombor Kör. There is a rich collection of Hungarian press materials from South America, and even more notably, a comprehensive compilation of Hungarian daily newspapers and periodicals, totaling approximately 20,000 issues, which arrived from Munich. The Manuscript Collection curated by PIM also maintains personal archival collections of various individuals. These collections encompass the personal papers of a range of figures, including Árkay László, Benedek Károly, Bikich Gábor, Biró Lajos, Bóta Ernő (the President of the League for the Protection of Human Rights), Bölöni György, Bölöni Györgyné, Czigány Lóránt, Csiky Ágnes Mária, Csonka Emil, Csukássy Lóránd, and many others, each of which constitutes a valuable resource for those interested in Hungarian literary and cultural history.
HungaryPetőfi Literary Museum (PIM)Hungária Bibliophile Lending Library and Archives (Buenos Aires, Argentina)The collection consists of 5,300 Hungarian-language and 700 foreign-language books, journals, scholarly works, and biographies related to Hungarian culture. The collection can be divided into three groups: books published in Hungary between the two World Wars and brought by emigrants, mainly published in Hungarian in Buenos Aires; books published mainly in Hungarian in Buenos Aires; and Hungarian-language emigration publications published in various parts of the world, including Paris, Hong Kong, Brussels, and New York.
HungaryPetőfi Literary Museum (PIM)Media Archive: Audio material related to emigration.Recordings of cultural events held by emigrant Western Hungarian associations and forums, as well as oral history interviews.https://pim.hu/hu/emigrans/gyujtemenyi-tajekoztato/mediatar/emigracios-vonatkozasu-hanganyagok-nevjegyzeke
HungarySzéchényi National Library (OSZK)Manuscript collection: Personal materials of Hungarian emigrant writers and intellectuals, as well as institutional and collective document collections.From the personal archives, it's worth highlighting the materials of individuals such as Gyula Bisztray, Gyula Borbándi, Bölcsföldi Andor, Buday György, Tibor Eckhardt, Mihály Ferdinandy, István Gereben, Péter Gosztonyi, György Gömöri, Olga Gring (SZER), Tibor Hanák (SZER), Klára Héderváry (the UN 'Committee of Five,' with 42 boxes of documents), Mihály Hőgye, Oszkár Jászi, László Juhász (SZER), Tamás Kabdebó, Anna Kéthly, László Könnyű, Györgyi Markovits (SZER), Imre Mikes, Rezső Peéry, András Révai, Tas Tóth (SZER), Gyula Schöpflin, Csaba Skultéty (SZER), Zoltán Szabó, József Szamosi (SZER), Béla Szász, Aladár Szegedy-Maszák, Tamás Kiss Szemenyei, István Szépfalusi, Béla Teleki, Lajos Zilahy, and Zoltán Zsille. Among the collective archives, some of the more prominent ones include the American Hungarian Federation, the Canadian Rákóczi Federation, the Liberal International Hungarian Group, the Hungarian Association of England, the National Council of New York, the Hungarian Aid Association in Paris, the editorial correspondence of Mérleg magazine, the Hungarian Pax Romana movement, the Corvina Circle in Brussels, the Hungarian community in Cleveland (Nádas János, Árpád Academy), the South African Hungarian Association, and the Association of Free Hungarian Journalists.
HungaryHungarian Academy of Science (MTA) Manuscript CollectionPersonal materials of Hungarian emigrant writers and intellectuals.Among the personal archival collections, notable mentions include the materials of various individuals such as Tamás Molnár (USA), a philosopher, Béla Menczer (England), a historian and writer, and Árpád Szélpál (France), a prose writer, poet, and translator. Here, you can find the comprehensive selection edited and translated over several decades by Pál Tábori, Tamás Kabdebó, and Ádám Makkai, known as 'The Poetry of Hungary' manuscript ensemble.
HungaryRáday CollectionNumerous Western Hungarian Reformed ministers and presbyters' legacy materials. Personal materials of Hungarian emigrant writers and intellectuals.Includes the papers of Gyula Gombos, Lajos Gogolák, Míhaly Hőgye, Géza Illés, Sándor Kiss, and others.
HungaryState Security Documents Historical Archive (ÁBTL)Numerous operational and object files, investigation and court documents, surveillance notes, and agent work files related to the Hungarian emigration, often accompanied by a substantial amount of archive documents (emigrant personal papers, photographs, letters, flyers, announcements, drafts, press articles, autobiographies). Various files and collections related to the Western Hungarian emigration in the years 1945, 1947, and 1956: Emigrant Hostile Organizations Materials I-II: A-1144, A-1145. Hungarian Emigration and Western Intelligence Services I-II: A-2127/20/1. Western Countries' Collection Camps, Leaders, and Staff: A-1146. Information Report on the Distribution of Hungarian Defectors in Different Countries, 1.6-II/1-63-8 / 177 / 1957.09.19. Vienna Residency "B" Operational Correspondence File: ÁBTL O-8-34 /3. Swiss Hungarian Emigration: ÁBTL O-8-095/1. French Intelligence and Counterintelligence Service: ÁBTL A-2127/21. French Intelligence Activities against the Hungarian National Committee: ÁBTL O-8-092 /1. Those who returned with amnesty: ÁBTL O-16519; ÁBTL O-16333. Those who returned with amnesty from Austria: ÁBTL O-17006; O-17008; O-170010. Those who returned with amnesty from Yugoslavia: ÁBTL-O16665; O-16707; O-16718. Individuals who served or served in the French Foreign Legion: O-17446. Hungarian citizens who served or have served in the US Army: O-18563/1. Fascist Groups and Individuals Operating in West Germany: O-8-027/1.
HungaryBudapest Capital Archives (BFL)György and Miklós Krassó archive (HU BFL XIV.47)
HungaryBudapest Capital Archives (BFL)Béla Padányi-Gulyás, emigrant Smallholder Party politician, archival materials (HU BFL XIV.206)In addition to personal private documents, the collection includes a significant number of documents related to post-1956 emigration activities, including organization, communication, program development, publications, etc. The majority of the documents consist of organizational records related to the editing and publication of various emigration publications, communication with authors, and the correspondence regarding various emigration initiatives. The primary document type is personal letters, but alongside these, various other document types and formats can be found within the material.
HungaryBudapest Capital Archives (BFL)Mrs. Lajos Kisgyörgy and children, correspondance and family papers (HU BFL XIV.138)The majority of the documents consist of letters written by his brothers who defected after the events of 1956 to their mother. These provide insights into the efforts of members of a working-class family living in a suburban district of the capital to establish an existence in the Western world, as well as their connection to their home country.
HungaryVera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA), BudapestKlára Héderváry Collection (Documents on the Activities of the United Nations 1956 Special Committee).The collection is available in digital form on the OSA Archivum website, as part of the 1956 Digital Archive. It contains the English (sometimes French) transcripts of the testimonies of 111 witnesses heard by the Special Committee, along with brief summaries of related audio recordings. Additionally, it includes the Report presented to the United Nations General Assembly and its drafts, including the Committee's correspondence with various governments, diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations. The background materials for the committee's work, such as international and Hungarian press summaries, reports, and newspaper clippings, are also available for research. http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:693f36ae-56a5-4564-89ee-0bc7b20eb414
HungaryVera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA), BudapestColumbia University Research Program on Hungary – CURPH 1956-1958The comprehensive collection of 1956 emigrant interviews conducted at Columbia University. The interview texts come from two main sources: the Bakhmeteff Archive at Columbia University's Rare Books and Manuscripts Library and the Manuscript Collection of the National Széchényi Library.
HungaryKároly Somogyi City and County Library, SzegedVasváry CollectionReverend Ödön Vasváry collected documents related to the American Hungarian community from the 1920s until his death in 1977. This work resulted in the creation of a collection consisting of three main parts. The alphabetical database is composed of Ödön Vasváry's handwritten notes, clippings, letters, photographs, and pamphlets. The library comprises about a thousand volumes, including yearbooks, calendars, chronicles, and commemorative publications. This is complemented by a catalog containing more than twenty thousand cards with biographical and bibliographical data. Since its return to Hungary, the Vasváry Collection has been continuously growing through donations and acquisitions, including books, articles, and other materials. Larger donations have been received, among others, from Lajos Szathmáry (Chicago, IL), Károly Nagy (New Brunswick, NJ), László Könnyü (St. Louis, MO), and Béla Várdy (Pittsburgh, PA).http://vasvary.sk-szeged.hu/frame2.html
HungaryLakitelkek Folk High SchoolEmigration Collection and Library"Since the political transition of 1989-1990, materials related to the emigrant community have been collected. These materials mainly consist of estates and, to a lesser extent, the documents of donors (letters, articles, documents, poems, essays, biographies, memoirs, photos, etc.). They originate from various locations, including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Sweden, England, Canada, the USA, Brazil, and Australia. Among the holdings are the estate of Colonel Veress Lajos Dálnoki, Bishop László Irányi, and documents of Cardinal Mindszenty (the latter among the materials of Pataky Pál). The collection is composed of more than fifty separate units, and approximately 80% of these holdings have a personal or family character. These include the following individuals and entities: - Albert Tamás - Ágh László - Bánkuty Géza - Berényi János - Bóta Ernő - Csepelyi Rudolf - Csernohorszky Vilmos - Dálnoki Veress Lajos - Dezséry András - Endrey Antal - Értavy Katalin - Fábián Tibor - Feketéné Korény Lívia - Fülöp László - Galló Géza - Gulyás Gyöngyi - Irányi László (bishop) - Juhász László - Kátay Zoltán - Kelemen Iván - Koszorús Ferenc - Könnyű László - Kuti István - Légrády László - Lipták Béla - Marton Imre - Melczer Aladár - Metz Sándor - Mikes Imre - Mikes M. Veronika - Nagy Alajos - Padányi Viktor - Pap Iván - Pataky Pál - Péterffy Gyöngyi - Prezenszky Edit - Sebestyén Béla - Serfőző László - Serfőző Levente - Sike László - Sisa István - Szakály János - Szegedi Dénes - Szépfalvy Jószef - Tarné Lévai Pálma - Szabó Károly - Tatár Etelka - Tollas Tibor - Tóthfalussy János - Töttössy Ernő - Túri Ferenc - Veress László - Vékony Mihály - Zolcsák István. In addition, there are group documents from various organizations, such as: - Amerikai Magyar Élet (American Hungarian Life) magazine - Amerikai Magyarok Országos Szövetsége (American Hungarian Federation) - Ausztráliai Magyar Szövetség (Hungarian Association of Australia) - Magyar Öregdiák Szövetség – Bessenyei Kör (Association of Hungarian Alumni – Bessenyei Circle) - Nemzeti Újság – Ausztrália 1987–1993 (National Newspaper – Australia 1987–1993) - Árpád Akadémia (Árpád Academy) - Magyar Baráti Szövetség (USA) (Hungarian Friends Association – USA) - Magyar Kulturális Egyesület (Ulm, Németország) (Hungarian Cultural Association, Ulm, Germany) - Magyar Kulturális Intézet (Burgenland) (Hungarian Cultural Institute, Burgenland) - Magyar Protestánsok Gyülekezete (Ausztria) (Congregation of Hungarian Protestants, Austria) - Magyar Republikánus Szövetség (Hungarian Republican Association) - Magyar Szabadságharcos Szövetség (Hungarian Freedom Fighters Association) - Magyar Egyetemisták és Főiskolások Egyesületeinek Szövetsége (Reports and minutes from the Association of Hungarian University and College Students, 1961–1966)." These materials represent a rich and diverse collection of documents related to the Hungarian emigrant community."
HungaryLakitelkek Folk High SchoolEmigration Collection and LibraryHungarian School (Burg Castle)The memorabilia of the Hungarian Gymnasium in Burg Kastl, Bavaria, which operated from 1958 to 2006, consists of approximately 4,000 former students' artifacts, including items such as school flags, graduation class boards, class registers, yearbooks, school newspapers, and the folk dance group's costumes.
HungaryHungarian Geographical MuseumPéter Marczell estate papersThe estate of Péter Marczell, economist (1936-2008). Correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, photocopies of books.
HungaryHungarian Geographical MuseumÉva Saáry papersÉva Saáry, geologist, poet, painter, (1929-2014). Personal items and photographs.
GermanyPolitical Archives of the German Federal Foreign Office / Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen AmtsThe material of the West German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Auswärtiges Amt).Ministerial reports, notes, protocols, as well as submissions and proposals can be studied among the documents.
GermanyThe Federal Archives / Bundesarchiv, KoblenzThe Ministry of the Interior (Bundesministerium des Inneren), as well as the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit) and the Federal Ministry for Expellees, Refugees, and War-Affected Persons (Bundesministerium für Vertriebene, Flüchtlinge und Kriegsgeschädigte) archives.Ministerial reports, notes, protocols, as well as submissions and proposals can be studied among the documents.
GermanyThe Bavarian State Archives / Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, BayHStA.Documents related to Hungarian refugees, including statistics at the provincial level, can be found here, as well as a memorandum compiled by the Bavarian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bayerisches Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz).
GermanyHessian State Archives / Hessisches HauptstaatsarchivDocuments related to Hungarian refugees, including statistics at the provincial level, can be found here.
ItalyArchivio Storico Diplomatico del Ministero degli Affari Esteri (ASDMAE)Direzione Generale Affari Politici 1950-57The notes documenting the Italian government's response to the 1956 revolution and the perspective of the diplomatic corps.https://www.esteri.it/it/uapsds/storico_diplom/
ItalyArchivio Centrale dello Stato (ACS)Croce Rossa Italiana, Archivio generale, 1908-78, Servizio Affari InternazionaliThe Italian government has entrusted the Italian Red Cross with the coordination of reception and relief activities throughout the country. The relevant documentation is included in this collection.https://search.acs.beniculturali.it/OpacACS/