1. History of Foundation
The National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives, an institution known by its Romanian acronym CNSAS, represents the official authority that both administrates the archives of the former communist secret police in Romania and mediates public access to the files. The institution was established in 2000, after a decade of constant pressures for the opening of the secret police archives and the enforcement of lustration, with the promulgation of the Law No. 187/7 December 1999 on the acess to the personal file and the disclosure of the Securitate as a political police.
2. Legal Commission and Task
The Council has the following tasks: to ensure free access of individuals to their personal files devised by the former Securitate between 6 March 1945 and 22 December 1989; to disclose former agents and collaborators of the former Securitate; to provide the necessary documentation to the victims of the communist regime who are looking for rehabilitation and legal compensation; to approve the notifications that are due to be communicated to the individuals that have been vetted; to call for the declassification of the files and of other archival materials; to coordinate all educational and research activities conducted by CNSAS; to accredit researchers; to ensure the scientific collaboration and cooperation with similar institutions in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as with any other institution that is interested in researching the repressive mechanisms of the communist regime.
3. Material relevant to the study of religions
The archive’s total holdings currently amount to over two million volumes, the equivalent of approximately twenty-five kilometers. The archive is divided into multiple fonds, as follows: Documentary Fonds on particular issues, such as religion, art etc; Penal or Criminal Fonds, which consist of the files of the individuals that were put on trial; Network Fonds, the files of people who, one way or another, collaborated with the Securitate; Informative Fonds of those individuals that were put under surveillance; the Romanian Exile Fonds; Manuscripts Fonds, which contain the materials confiscated by the Securitate. Religion and religious issues are covered in the files of the Documentary Fonds and they reflect the policies and measures adopted by the Securitate towards religious communities in the form of orders, circular letters of the multiple headquarters of the secret police, statistics, reports, photographs, so on and so forth. The Informative Fonds, which include the surveillance files, also contain important information in relation to religious issues and individuals belonging to various religious communities. The main documents that could be found in such files are: reports, notes from informers, intercepted documents (letters, manuscripts), (confiscated) photographs/materials, declarations. The Penal or Criminal Fonds are the richest sources of religious materials, as they consist of the criminal files of those individuals who were arrested for their religious beliefs and activities.They contain interrogation notes, confiscated religious materials, confiscated photographs, personal letters etc.
4. Access for Researchers
Researchers can apply to become an accredited researcher with access to the reading room by following the application process outlined on the CNSAS website.
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