Hungary Opens 60,000 Secret Police Files to Public

Hungarian citizens can now search a database containing the names of roughly 60,000 people recruited by the communist secret police between 1944 and 1990. The records became available on the website nyitottaktak.hu on Wednesday, marking the first time the general public has had direct access to these documents.

The database lists specific personal details for each individual. Entries include the informer's real name, codename, date of birth, and home address. They also identify the mother's name and the specific motive behind recruitment. The files clarify whether the individual volunteered or was coerced through blackmail. The name of the officer who handled the recruitment is also included.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the release at the state archives in Budapest. He spoke to reporters on the anniversary of the Soviet tanks suppressing the 1956 revolution. Magyar urged the public to approach the documents with dignity and humanity. He acknowledged that many families would find difficult information about deceased relatives. He stated that processing such trauma requires open discussion.

The move fulfills a central campaign promise Magyar made during his landslide victory in the April elections. He positioned the release as keeping a commitment made by those who overthrew the Communist party in 1989. For nearly four decades, successive governments considered opening the archives but declined to do so. This included administrations led by conservatives, Social Liberal parties, and Fidesz.

Before this week, the process was limited. Citizens could apply to see only their own files. Historians had broader access but faced redactions. Post-communist secret services often withheld files for internal use. Over the past 36 years, data from these archives has frequently leaked. Governments at times used the information to damage political opponents. Many files were shredded during the transition period between 1988 and 1989 as the Communist party's grip weakened.

A second set of documents known as the B dossiers is currently being digitized. These records are scheduled for release on 25 February. They will provide greater detail regarding the recruitment process and the perceived value of the information agents provided. Critics warn that the public may judge those named in the files without appreciating the complex nuances of their circumstances.

Estimates suggest between 150,000 and 160,000 people served as informers in Hungary during that era. Many were blackmailed with threats involving job loss, interrupted studies, or restricted access to medicine. Others faced exposure of personal habits and relationships. While such intimate details are carefully edited from the current disclosures, the core personal data remains available.

Krisztian Ungvary, a historian who has long advocated for full transparency, stated that access to state records is a fundamental right. He argued this right should not depend on political leadership. Zsuzsanna Borvendeg, a historian and member of the European Parliament for the Our Homeland party, offered a counterpoint. She noted that it is often difficult to identify the agent or understand their motives in surviving reports. She warned that publishing names without full context risks misleading the public.