The European Network of Official Authorities Responsible for Secret Police Files was established in 2008. Its seven founding members were Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. In Germany, demands made during the Peaceful Revolution to open the files and make them accessible to the public were fulfilled when Germany reunified on October 3, 1990, and the Special Commissioner for Stasi Records began his work. The position of the Federal Commissioner for Stasi Records was created when the Stasi Records Act was adopted on December 29, 1991. Other Eastern European member states took a bit longer to start. Poland began opening files in 1998/2000, Romania in 2000, Hungary between 1997 and 2003, Slovakia in 2003, Bulgaria in 2003, and the Czech Republic in 2007.
In April 2015, the law "On the Right to Information on the Documents of the former State Security of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania" was approved by the Albanian Parliament. This law concerns the collection, administration, processing, use, and disclosure of documents of the former State Security from the period 1944-1991. On November 17 and November 24, 2016, the Albanian Parliament also voted in five members of the Authority for Information on the Files of the former State Security as well as the chairperson of this Authority, thus paving the way for the establishment and functioning of this important institution dedicated to informing citizens and confronting their past during the totalitarian regime in Albania.
a) The institution must be a government organization.
b) It must be designated by the parliament and operate based on specific legal norms.
c) It must be independent from other government archival administrations, have independent authority over documents formerly classified by police agencies, and make these documents accessible.
1. Since its establishment in 2017, AIDSSH has participated in the European Network meetings with observer status. The Network includes archival and memory institutions from Eastern Europe that carry out academic and commemorative activities in their respective countries, starting with the founding members—Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland—and expanding to observer countries with archival institutions from the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union.
2. On September 25, 2019, Albania requested full membership in the Network through the Authority for Information on the Documents of the former State Security, at the meeting held in Bratislava.
3. The request was accepted by the member countries, and the decision was postponed to the next meeting, which, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was delayed until 2021.
4. On January 28, 2021, Albania, represented by AIDSSH, was unanimously accepted as a full member of the Network. According to representatives of the German Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records (BSTU), “There could be no better candidate than Albania, which is opening the communist-era files and revealing history behind secret documents, collaborating with public and local institutions, academics, interest groups, human rights organizations, and benefiting from the experience of its counterparts.” On the same day, Ukraine was accepted as an observer member in the Network.
AIDSSH is the only Albanian institution that is a member, representing Albania.
– As a member of the Network, it has the right to vote on granting Guest Member Status, accepting new members, and issuing essential documents.
– As a member of the Network, it can propose a vote on essential documents.
– The leading institution submits a proposal for a vote regarding the acceptance of a new member or a new guest member at the annual conference.
Benefits and new opportunities brought by this cooperation:
– Cooperation and membership in the Network bring practical benefits and opportunities for easier access to archival documents from institutions in other countries.
– Expansion of the study space or opportunities for research abroad for scholars.
– Sharing knowledge and experiences with other post-communist countries that are in the early stages of establishing institutions dealing with their authoritarian past.
– Opportunities for collaboration with museums, organizations, and institutions, mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, dedicated to illuminating the totalitarian past.
– Collaboration in organizing exhibitions, conferences, and international seminars focusing on key moments or themes in the shared history of the countries.
1. Poland: IPN (1998/2000) – The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, IPN) Website: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
2. Germany Der Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (BStU) The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic
3. Romania: CNSAS (2000) -The National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (Consiliul National pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securitatii – CNSAS) Webseite: Consiliul National pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securitatii
4. Hungary: ABTL (1997/2003) “Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security Service” (ABTL).
5. Slovakia: UPN (2003) – The Slovakian “Institute of National Memory” (Ustav Pamäti Naroda – UPN) Website: Ustav Pamäti Naroda
6. Bulgaria: COMDOS (2003) “Commission for access to and disclosure of documents and on announcing affiliation of Bulgarian citizens with the state security and intelligence services of the Bulgarian national army” (COMDOS). Website: COMDOS
7 Czech Republic: USTR (2007) The Institute for the Research of Totalitarian Regimes and the Security Services Archive (USTR) began operations in February 2008. Website: Ústav pro studium totalitnich rezimú
8. Albania: AIDSSH Autoriteti për Informim mbi Dokumentet e ish Sigurimit të Shetit 1944-1991 Website: https://aidssh.al/
Since 2013, the Network has granted guest status to several institutions at its annual conferences. This year, Ukraine was also added to this list.
*We remind that only an institution representing a state can be a member. In our case, the member is AIDSSH. Meanwhile, other Albanian institutions that are interested in joining the Network can apply for the status of invited member.
Addresses of the Members of the “European Network of Official Authorities in Charge of the Secret Police Files”
BULGARIA
Committee on Disclosure of Documents and Announcing Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens to the State Security and the Intelligence Services of the Bulgarian National Army (COMDOS) 1, Vrabcha Str., fl. 2 1000 Sofia Tel. +359 (2) 800 45 06; Fax +359 (2) 800 45 00 info@comdos.bg; www.comdos.bg;
CZECH REPUBLIC
Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů (USTR) The Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes Siwiecova 2 130 00 Praha 3
Tel. +420 (221) 008 211; +420 (221) 008 212
info@ustrcr.cz; www.ustrcr.cz;
Facebook: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů
GERMANY
Der Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (BStU)
The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 31/33
10178 Berlin
Postal address: BStU, 10106 Berlin
Tel. +49 (30) 2324-50; Fax + 49 (30) 2324-7799
post@bstu.bund.de; www.bstu.bund.de;
Facebook: BStU Stasi-Unterlagen-Behörde
HUNGARY
Állambiztonsági Szolgálatok Történeti Levéltára (ÁBTL)
Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security
1067 Budapest, Eötvös u. 7
Postal address: 1396 Budapest, PF. 367
Tel. +36 (1) 478-6020; Fax +36 (1) 478-6036
info@abtl.hu; www.abtl.hu;
POLAND
Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej (IPN)
Institute of National Remembrance ul. Wołoska 7
02-675 Warsaw
Tel. +48 (22) 581 85 22, 581 85 23
sekretariat.ipn@ipn.gov.pl; www.ipn.gov.pl;
Facebook: Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej
ROMANIA
Consiliul Naţional Pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (CNSAS)
The National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives
Strada Matei Basarab nr. 55-57, sector 3
030671, Bucureşti
Tel. +40 374 189 167
office@cnsas.ro; www.cnsas.ro;
SLOVAKIA
Ústav pamäti národa (UPN); Nation’s Memory Institute
Námestie slobody 6, 817 83 Bratislava 15
Tel.: +421 (2) 593 00 311; Fax: +421 (2) 593 00 391
info@upn.gov.sk; www.upn.gov.sk;
Facebook: Ústav pamäti národa
