The Effects of Democratization on Archival Administration and Use in Eastern Middle Europe

The author discusses the effects of the democratization of 1988/89 in Eastern Middle Europe upon archival access and on the modification of laws regulating archival jurisdictions. The rule of the Communist Party after 1945 created severe limitations on access to the state archival fond for both foreigners and citizens of Eastern Middle European countries. Access was limited by a catalogue of prohibited research topics, by undetermined opening dates, by the exemption of certain fonds from existing archives legislation, by the ability of records creating bureaucracies to set their own access rules, and by national isolation. With democratization, archival administrations are instituting legislation to determine access dates, to regulate classification of documents, to guarantee public access and the protection of individual rights and privacy, and to standardize research rules. The problem of documenting re-privatized businesses is being handled in differing ways throughout the region.