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Annual Report of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes for 2008

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Annual Report of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes for 2008 Annual Report 2009Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes Contents A few words of introduction from the chairwoman of the Institute Council............................. 4 A few words of introduction from the Institute’s Director............................................................ 5 Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.................................................... 6 1. Activities of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.............................................. 7 Thematic focal points approved by the Council............................................................................... 7 Research, scholarly investigation and documentation activities............................................ 9 1. Research projects................................................................................................. 10 2. Documentation projects...................................................................................... 14 Educational, exhibition and publication activities................................................................. 18 1. Educational activities......................................................................................... 18 2. Overview of conferences, symposia and seminars held in 2009.................... 21 3. Series of public history seminars....................................................................... 22 Exhibition and publication activities, communication platforms and education on civic responsibility............................................................................................................................... 27 1. Exhibition activities............................................................................................. 27 2. Publication activities........................................................................................... 30 3. Communication platforms................................................................................... 35 4. Education on civic responsibility....................................................................... 36 Information technology and digitisation.................................................................................. 37 1. Website of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes...................... 37 2. Electronic records processing............................................................................ 38 3. Digitisation of documents................................................................................... 39 4. Construction of an electronic archive............................................................... 40 Institute Office...................................................................................................................................... 42 1. Cooperation with institutions in the Czech Republic................................................. 42 2. International cooperation............................................................................................... 43 3. Legal and legislative activity.......................................................................................... 45 4. Providing information pursuant to Act No. 106/1999 Coll., on free access to information........................................................................................... 45 5. Staffing of the Institute................................................................................................... 45 The Institute and the mass media..................................................................................................... 46 2. Activities of the Security Services Archive................................................................................. 47 Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 47 1. Staffing conditions at the Security Services Archive........................................................ 47 2 2. Total quantity of stored archive materials and the transfer of materials.................... 50 3. Processing and using archive records.................................................................................. 51 3.1 Processing archive records............................................................................................. 51 3.2 Using archive records...................................................................................................... 52 4. Editing and publication activity, research projects, library........................................... 62 5. The condition of archive records........................................................................................... 65 5.1 The protection of archive collections and compilations; the preservation and restoration of archive records................................................................................ 65 5.2 The establishment of a restoration workplace ........................................................... 65 5.3 General inventory – current situation .......................................................................... 66 5.4 Digitisation (the conversion of archive records to an electronic form).................... 68 6. The Security Services Archive’s cooperation with foreign institutions ...................... 68 3. Management of Chapter 355 budget resources – Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes......................................................................... 71 1. The fulfilment of mandatory indicators for Chapter 355 – Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes ........................................................... 71 2. Revenues........................................................................................................................... 72 3. Expenditures..................................................................................................................... 72 4. Capital expenditures........................................................................................................ 74 Information on the security of access to documents and archive records stored in the Security Services Archive................................................................................................................... 76 3 A few words of introduction from the chairwoman of the Institute Council Esteemed senators, It is an honour for me to present the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic with the third annual report of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. It is only the second regular compendium of information, which for the first time summarises the activity of our institution for an entire 12 months. The past year confirmed the depth of the foundations and the sound nature of the process of estab- lishing the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and the Security Services Archive at a time when both bodies were confronted with the resentment of their opponents. As your Senate already stated this year, both institutions duly performed their activity prescribed by law, and I must add that this was done on an international level. Without question, they also achieved a number of professional successes. I am only citing some of these accomplishments when I mention conferences, exhibitions, publications, assistance for history teachers, etc. Within the framework of the Czech Republic’s presidency of the EU Council, they also financed activities from their own resources. Our efforts to find the most objective approach to our recent past, which was indelibly marked by both totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, were not even affected by separate problems, i.e. the search for a building for the Security Services Archive, or reconciling Chapter 355 budgetary resources with the first effects of the global financial crisis. Consequently, I believe that the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes will continue to act without fear in public life whilst also proceeding with its mission. MUDr. Naděžda Kavalírová, Chairwoman of the Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes 4 A few words of introduction from the Institute’s director Esteemed senators, On behalf of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, I would like to submit our insti- tution’s annual report for discussion via the chairwoman of the Institute Council MUDr. Naděžda Kavalírová, which thereby fulfils our statutory obligation. By virtue of a decision by the Institute Council, this key docu- ment is also being submitted with a few words of introduction from my predecessor, who presented it for approval to the Institute’s supreme body, although it had not yet been discussed during the course of his limited mandate. Mgr. Daniel Herman Esteemed senators, ladies and gentlemen, The submitted report on the activity of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and the Security Services Archive (hereinafter only referred to as the ÚSTR and ABS) reflects the activity of both institutions for 2009, i.e. for the second year of its existence. This is primarily specified by Act No. 181/2007 of the Collection of Laws (Coll.) on the establishment of the ÚSTR and ABS, whose purpose is to attempt to provide considerable assistance in ensuring better knowledge and therefore also a better understanding of the Nazi and communist past. Both totalitarian regimes substantially affected Czech society for several long decades. Coming to terms with their consequences is still
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