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	HU OSA 383
Fonds 383:	Géza Sáska Collection on Hungarian Samizdat and the Monday Free University

Date(s) 1978-1988

Extent and medium

Estimated total:
8 archival boxes
Currently processed:
8 Archival boxes, 1 linear meters

Name of creator(s) Géza Sáska

Archival history

Géza Sáska, a sociologist and expert in the field of educational policy, belonged to the inner circles of the democratic opposition in Hungary from the very beginning. He participated in the production and distribution of samizdat publications, and sometimes also a contributed to them. He deposited the remnants of his samizdat collection with Open Society Archives in January, 2004.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer Géza Sáska

Scope and content

The majority of the records are copies of Hungarian samizdat periodicals (Speaker, Speaker from Elsewhere, Herald) and samizdat books from various independent publishing houses, such as AB, ABC, M.O. (Hungarian October) and emigré publications (Magyar Füzetek).

The rest of the records are typed manuscripts, among them some of invaluable importance like Miklós Szabó's notes for the lectures that he delivered during the sessions of the Monday Free University. The Monday Free University, (also known as "the flying university") was an independent initiative that followed the example of a similar Polish scheme. The organizers selected topics and invited lecturers who were excluded from the official higher education. The lectures were delivered in private apartments before an exclusive audience. The famous historian Miklós Szabó gave six series of lectures on the history of the Soviet and Hungarian Communist Parties, on World War II, on political sociology, on the non-fascist totalitarian regimes and on the history of socialist theory.

The other manuscript is a typed copy of the famous Hungarian samizdat work entitled "Is Critical Economic Theory Possible?" by György Bence, János Kis and György Márkus.

Accruals Not expected

System of arrangement

• HU OSA 383-0-1 Manuscripts, 1970-1988
• HU OSA 383-0-2 Samizdat and Émigré Publications, 1962-1988

Conditions governing access Open for research

Language/scripts of material Hungarian

Related units of description

• HU OSA 302 Personal Papers of Gábor Demszky, 1973-1992
• HU OSA 397 Samizdat Collection of György Krassó [Krassó György szamizdatgyűjteménye], 1958-1989
• HU OSA 355 János Kis Collection on Hungarian Samizdat and Documents of the Democratic Opposition, 1981-1989

Date(s) of descriptions

Processed by András Mink in January-February 2004, and Judit Hegedüs in November 2010
Online version updated 6 January 2012