Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
Press Room
Posted: 28/November/2017
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague sentenced Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in 1992-1995. Mladić committed these crimes through his participation in, or contribution to four joint criminal enterprises, and was eventually found guilty “of genocide and persecution, extermination, murder, and the inhumane act of forcible transfer in the area of Srebrenica in 1995; of persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and inhumane act of forcible transfer in municipalities throughout BiH; of murder, terror and unlawful attacks on civilians in Sarajevo; and of hostage-taking of UN personnel.”
Posted: 27/November/2017
On the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, Blinken OSA presents a unique program series under the title "The Traces of Revolutions". In Blinken Osa's Galeria Centralis László Rajk's installation will be complemented by a historical exhibition, a student debate is organized about the revolution, the experiment of communism will be discussed at a conference. A film screening series will reflect upon the era, and a play by Heiner Müller (Mauser) will be staged, with Eszter Csákányi, Dávid Csányi, Gergő Kaszás and Blanka Mészáros appearing in the leading roles.
Posted: 27/November/2017
An outstandingly talented programmer and activist, the founder of RSS and contributor to the creation of Reddit and Creative Commons among numerous other projects and campaigns, Aaron Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) took his own life at the age of 26. He was under federal indictment for alleged computer crimes.In line with the ideals Aaron Swartz fought for, one of the aims of the Open Society Archives is to broaden access to primary sources by overcoming technical, legal, geographic, and socio-cultural barriers. István Rév, director of Blinken OSA remembers Aaron Swartz.
Posted: 21/November/2017
A Mauser egyetlen, visszapillantásokkal tarkított halál-jelenet – sűrű, feloldozást nem adó alámerülés egy bárhol, bármikor zajló forradalom bugyraiba. A helyspecifikus előadás fő témakörei: az egyén történelmi felelősségének kérdése, az öntudat tárgyiasulása valamint a politikai cél és eszköz viszonyának vizsgálata. Müller szerint a színház saját akaratunkból választott, a múlttal való szembenézés nyilvános akciója. Ekképpen a nézők aktív részvétele, a színházi térben történő közösségteremtés az előadás fő mozgatórugója.
Posted: 16/November/2017
Fiatalok ezrei várták bekészített magnetofonnal, hogy a Szabad Európa Rádió rövidhullámán felhangozzék: "A mikrofonnál és a lemezjátszónál Cseke László. Szeretettel köszöntöm a Teenager Party hallgatóit..."
Posted: 14/November/2017
Spectrum of Communism — Symposium at Blinken OSA, on November 16-17, 2017
On the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, Blinken OSA organizes a two-day symposium and public screenings.
Registration: To register, send your name, email address and institutional affiliation to Julianna Lendvai ( LendvaiJ@ceu.edu) before November 12, 2017.
Posted: 28/October/2017
Forradalmak nyomában – A forradalom erkölcsi kérdés? Diákvitafórum a Blinken OSA Archívumban1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 32. / 2017. november 7. kedd, 17:30-19:00
Posted: 27/October/2017
In November, 2017 on the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, Blinken OSA presents a unique program series under the title "The Traces of Revolutions". In Galeria Centralis László Rajk's installation will be complemented by a historical exhibition, a student debate is organized about the revolution, the experiment of communism will be discussed at a conference. A film screening series will reflect upon the era, and a play by Heiner Müller (Mauser) will be staged with Eszter Csákányi, Dávid Csányi, Gergő Kaszás and Blanka Mészáros appearing in the leading roles.
Posted: 27/October/2017
The 14th Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, co-organized by the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives at CEU opens on November 14, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at TRAFÓ.
Posted: 20/October/2017
When Gagarin Was Still at School – The Mesmerizing World of Soviet Film Propaganda
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in Blinken OSA
October 27, 2017, 4:00 p.m.
On the occasion of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA) is organizing an event including a presentation on archiving films and a film screening, with a focus on the history and processing of a collection of Soviet films held in Budapest.
Posted: 20/October/2017
The Old Doctor of Warsaw
book launch
Venue: Galeria Centralis, Blinken OSA (1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 32.)
Date: October 25, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Related event: Somewhere in Europe - Gaudiopolis, exhibition, Galeria Centralis, Blinken OSA (1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 32.) September 29 – October 29, 2017
Organizing institution: Hungarian Pedagogical Society
Posted: 16/October/2017
Students are offered help with research methodology and with materials available at Blinken OSA.
Posted: 05/October/2017
Somewhere in Europe – Gaudiopolis1. GUIDED EXHIBITION TOURSSomewhere in Europe – Gaudiopolis October 9 – 29; Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Venue: 1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32.Registration: Anikó Kövecsi (kovecsia@ceu.edu) 361-327-3250(The tour takes about 45 minutes)2. OUR CITY – DRAMA PEDAGOGY WORKSHOPWorkshops are lead by Szabolcs Szirony and Anikó Kövecsi. (drama pedagogy advisor: Rodrigó Balogh)October 17, Tuesday 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (the session is 2 hours, a maximum of 30 students per group are accepted) October 18, Wednesday 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (the session is 2 hours, a maximum of 30 students per group are accepted)October 19, Thursday 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (the session is 2 hours, a maximum of 30 students per group are accepted)The program is free of charge. Registration deadline: October 13, 2017. Contact: Anikó Kövecsi (kovecsia@ceu.edu) 327-3250Venue: Blinken OSA Archívum, 1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32. Because the number of participants is limited, early registration is recommended. When applying please give the full name of your school, the number of students participating, the date and time chosen, and the telephone number of the contact teacher.
Posted: 03/October/2017
Within CEU’s Open Learning Initiative Blinken OSA offered to host a higher education program geared towards refugees and asylum seekers in Hungary.
Posted: 29/September/2017
Somewhere in Europe
Gaudiopolis was one of the many smaller communities in Hungary that set out to build a better world on the ruins of the previous one. The exhibition presents the history of Gaudiopolis along with similar initiatives that were most often born out of the courage, the perseverance and enthusiasm of private individuals (or smaller groups) who were driven by their beliefs in a just and equal society. The exhibition closes on October 30, 2017. As part of the finissage a guided tour will be held by the curator at 4:00 p.m.
Posted: 28/September/2017
On 24-25 September, a two-day workshop evoked the spirit of Gaudiopolis, the self-governing children’s republic, with the participation of children from Cseppkő Children’s Home and Fészek Waldorf School in Solymár - under the creative guidance of Architecture Uncomfortable Workshop, Budapest (AUW).
Posted: 27/September/2017
A leading figure in human rights law and international criminal law, Cherif Bassiouni was the chairman of a United Nations commission investigating crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars in 1992-1995.
Posted: 18/September/2017
This year, Blinken OSA participated in the European Heritage Days, and its building, the Goldberger House (built in 1911) was open to the public.
Posted: 18/September/2017
Blinken OSA professionals help you to develop your research data strategy when designing a project, planning your research, or writing your thesis.
Posted: 14/September/2017
This year, the Blinken OSA will participate in the European Heritage Days, and its building, the Goldberger House (built in 1911) will be open to the public. As the highlight of the visit, the archival repository will be open to visitors as well. During the two-day event there will be guided tours in Hungarian, on both days at 10:00 a.m. and at 4:00 p.m. (English tours will be organized on demand).
Also, our current exhibition, Afghanistan, Graveyard of Empires: The Soviet War exhibition closes this weekend. On Sunday at 6:00 p.m., as part of the finissage there will be a guided tour of the exhibition (in Hungarian, and in English on demand).
September 16-17, 2017
Posted: 12/September/2017
September 17, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Afghanistan, Graveyard of Empires: The Soviet War exhibition
Curatorial tour by András Mink, Historian, Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
English language tour by Zammis Schein (Sándor Mesterházy), Private Collector
Galeria Centralis, Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32.
The Soviet intervention in Afghanistan unleashed the last major international armed struggle of the Cold War period. Retrospectively, it seems paradoxical since Afghanistan had never been a central area of the Cold War before this conflict broke out. The Soviet leadership was initially reluctant to intervene and indeed, it proved to be a fatal decision in every way. It brought a bloody war to Afghanistan with an appalling toll of human life and great suffering. The moral, political, financial and military strain also contributed to a great extent to the collapse of the Soviet empire. In addition, the Soviet intervention reduced the Afghan state to chaos, and the disastrous global consequences of this state failure are still unresolved.
Posted: 04/September/2017
Blinken OSA professionals help you to develop your research data strategy when designing a project, planning your research, or writing your thesis.
Posted: 04/September/2017
Blinken OSA professionals help you to develop your research data strategy when designing a project, planning your research, or writing your thesis.
Posted: 04/September/2017
As in previous years, the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (Blinken OSA) hosts incoming students from the various departments of the Central European University for short orientation sessions introducing them to the world of archives in the 21st century. The sessions are held every day of the current week (September 4-8, 2017).
Posted: 05/August/2017
Afghanistan, Graveyard of Empires: The Soviet War - Exhibition
VERNISSAGE: June 21, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Opening Remarks by
András Mink, Historian, Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
Zammis Schein (Sándor Mesterházy)
In cooperation with
Zammis Schein Collection
Afghan Center for Kabul University
Muzeum Shuravi, Yekaterinbur
Oriental Collection, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Science
Curated by Mihály Dobrovits, András Mink
Advisor: Zammis Schein
special thanks to
Shaharzad Akbar OSF-Kabul, Anthony Richter, OSF-New York, Julia Sakr-Tierney, OSF-New York
Galeria Centralis, Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives
1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32.
The exhibition is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day except Monday from June 22nd until September 17th, 2017. Free admission.
Posted: 19/July/2017
All the presentations and panel discussions of the September 2016 OSA conference “Poverty Revisited”, organized on the occasion of making the documentary heritage of outstanding sociologist István Kemény publicly accessible, are now available online here. The 28 short films (in Hungarian) also include the illustrations and background materials of the presentations and discussions.
Posted: 28/June/2017
Blinken OSA library records have been integrated into CEU Library Catalog.In a joint initiative with CEU Library to better serve the CEU community and the broader public, the records of Blinken OSA’s extensive collection of periodicals, films, and reference books related to the Cold War, Communism, international human rights and the archival profession are now available through the CEU Library catalog.Magazines, journals, daily newspapers and small-circulation regional publications, running to more than 6,400 titles, document life "behind the Iron Curtain" and the history of Communism in the Central and East-European region.The film collection includes over 4,000 titles, in almost 100 languages, with an exceptionally broad range of documentary, propaganda and fiction films as well as submissions to the Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.Library and Film library materials of Blinken OSA can be requested as usual at the Blinken OSA Research Room in Goldberger House.
Posted: 26/June/2017
Spectrum of Communism | A kommunizmus kísérleteNovember 16-17, 2017Commemorating the centennial of the Bolshevik revolution within the framework of the 2-year WHAT’S LEFT? program series, Blinken OSA invites historians, social scientists, artists and a broad community to take part in the forthcoming 2-day symposium SPECTRUM OF COMMUNISM, which addresses artistic and intellectual legacy of 1917 and dynamics of left-wing political thought and artistic practice in a transnational context. The prospective participants are invited to apply directly to one of the following sections, outlining how their presentation fits within a broader range of questions. Selected participants are expected to hold 20 minutes presentations and take part in general discussion on the set of questions addressed by their section. The symposium will take place at The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA) at Central European University (CEU) which is a repository of important collections related to the history of the Cold War and grave international human rights violations, and a laboratory of archival experiments on new ways of assessing, contextualizing, presenting, and making use of archival documents. The symposium will be accompanied by film screenings within the framework of 14th Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.Application deadline: July 30, 2017. No registration fee.Program Committee at Blinken OSA, CEU:András MinkOksana Sarkisova Ivan Székely Katalin Székely Csaba Szilágyi Katalin GádorosNora UngárIn cooperation with Péter Apor (Institute of History of Hungarian Academy of Science) and Dan Cirjan (CEU, Department of History)To apply, please send a brief (max 500 words) paper abstract and CV by July 30, 2017 to info@osaarchivum.org with the subject 2017SYMPOSIUM followed by the title of the section.
Posted: 25/June/2017
On April 10, 2017, President of the Republic of Hungary Janos Ader signed into law amendments to Hungary’s national higher education legislation which restrict academic freedom for CEU and other international universities operating in Hungary.
Posted: 20/June/2017
Blinken OSA Archivum - Night of the Museums 2017 Program 16.00- 24.00 Exhibition in Galeria Centralis: Afghanistan, Graveyard of Empires: The Soviet WarThe Soviet intervention in Afghanistan unleashed the last major international armed struggle of the Cold War period. Retrospectively, it seems paradoxical since Afghanistan had never been a central area of the Cold War before this conflict broke out. The Soviet leadership was initially reluctant to intervene and it proved to be, indeed, a fatal decision in every way. It brought a bloody war on Afghanistan with an appalling toll of human life and great suffering. Its moral, political, financial and military strain also contributed to a great extent to the collapse of the Soviet empire. In addition, the Soviet intervention pushed the Afghan state into chaos, and the disastrous global consequences of this state failure are still unresolved. For those visitors to the exhibition who are willing to participate in a quiz, the Fruccola café, which will be open all night, will offer a taste of genuine Afghan food.17:00/19:00. Guided tour of the exhibition by the curator16:00-24:00 Tours of the building: Exhibition hall and archive in a museum space. The industrial monument that is the Goldberger building is opened up to public view once a year. The basement of the building holds records of the fieldwork that underpinned Radio Free Europe's broadcasts during the Cold War, as well as the collection of Human Rights documents. The tours are in every two hours. Music: 21:00 DJ Sztyepp