General Information on Using Search in File Registries

Dear visitors,

The search engine which searches file registries produced by the former security services of the communist regime enables users to retrieve operative or investigation files registered for the searched name and view the original entries in the preserved registry books. The registries we have published on our website contain entries on the persons in whose name those files were registered in all possible categories, from informers to persons who were subjected to screening, investigation or oppression. One file was usually registered for one person whom the security services deemed to be of sufficient importance to open a file under the applicable directives. Publishing these registries and enabling users to search them is one of the ways our Archive fulfils one of its most important tasks as set forth in Act 181/2007 Coll. as regards access to materials produced by the former security services. These books were used by the former security services as their registration tools and today they can help users find the primary information on whether a file existed on a particular person.

We must, however, mention that despite the importance of the system of files and registries of the former security services, the information is only partial for several reasons: our Archive uses a more extensive search system which contains more than just the file registries; the facts found in these registries often do not show whether or not that particular file has been preserved, and information on a particular person may be included in non-file materials, namely work schedules, work assessments etc. which are still processed manually.

We must therefore draw your attention to the fact that any information retrieved by this search engine is not exhaustive, and so if you want a complete search, please contact us following the procedure described above. This also applies to information on whether or not a file has been preserved and lodged with our Archive. Many files were shredded prior to 1990 and a small number of them are still maintained by the current intelligence services.

For records kept in registries administered by the Slovak UPN, please refer to their search engine.

NOTE: Some 800 records in the search engine were disabled following court verdicts stating that the relevant Czech citizens were unjustly registered as informers. The original materials, however, remain unchanged due to preservation rules.