American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees, (New York, New York) records
Abstract
Records consist of organizational correspondence, meeting minutes, annual reports and case files produced by the New York headquarters, and also materials generated by the AFCR field offices both in the United States and in Europe. In addition to the assistance provided to refugees from the former Czechoslovakia, the records include documentation of the AFCR resettlement work with refugees from other parts of the world in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Dates
- 1948-1990
Creator
- American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees (New York, N.Y.) (Organization)
Language of Materials
Czech and English
ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
Case files contained in the collection can be accessed by interested researchers upon obtaining permission from the IHRCA following the standard procedure for applying for permission to research case files containing private information.
OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
For further information regarding the copyright, please contact the IHRCA.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
The American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees (New York, N.Y.) was formed in 1948 following the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia. Its purpose was to help refugees with their immediate needs and to aid in their resettlement in and all aspects of adjustment to their new homes. It was founded with the help of Jan Papanek, and its first chairman was Dr. James T. Shotwell of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees established working relationships with other relief organizations such as the International Refugee Organization, and was recognized by the United States Department of Defense as a voluntary agency. It was staffed mostly by volunteers and assisted by organizations such as the Czechoslovak National Council of America. It was active in a number of states and also had offices abroad. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the AFCR was involved also in resettlement work with refugees from other parts of the world. After the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989, the organization changed its name to American Fund for Czechoslovak Relief, and has since been supporting humanitarian projects in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and providing assistance to Czech and Slovak students and scholars in their research in the United States.
Extent
90 Linear Feet
PROVENANCE
Collection acquired in two incremements. Case files and general correspondence for the years 1950-1970 (25 linear feet) were donated to the IHRC by Dr. Jan Papanek, founder and president of the organization, in 1976. In 2004, the remaining portion of the ACFR archival materials was transferred to the IHRC with the approval of the Board of Directors and the current president of the organization, Mr. Vojtech Jerabek.
- Czech Americans. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Immigrants -- Case studies. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Refugees -- International cooperation. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Refugees -- Services for. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Slovak Americans. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Author
- IHRC Archives
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding Aid in English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Immigration History Research Center Archives Collecting Area
