Ellis East European Elections Collection

This collection comprises documentation and memorabilia pertaining to the first democratic (post-communist) elections held in the early 1990s, in various countries of central and east Europe. The content can be summarized briefly as follows: newspaper excerpts focusing on the progress of electoral campaigns; manifestoes issued by various political parties; election memorabilia, such as posters of candidates running for office, badges, stickers and flags; personal notes on election results compiled by Andrew Ellis.

The boxes in this collection are unnumbered, but the material is arranged by country, as follows:

• Former East Germany
• Former Yugoslavia
• Poland
• Hungary
• Bulgaria
• Albania/Romania/Russia
• Former Czechoslovakia

Andrew Ellis, OBE, is a recognized technical adviser on international democracy and governance issues, and in 1997 was Coordinator of the OSCE Observation Mission for Registration of Voters in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Ellis is also known for his two publications: Algebraic Structure (with Terence Teeby, published 1971), and Let Every Englishman's Home be His Castle (1978).

The material in this collection is arranged by country as follows:

• Box - (former) East Germany:
  • Whlkomission der DDR - May 1990 publications giving statistical information for various regions
• Box - (former) Yugoslavia: 
  • Prospective candidates' profiles for various regions: Slovenia; Croatia
  • April 1990 Elections political manifestoes
  • Newspapers, April 1990, Delo (Lubljana)
  • Slovenia campaign results
  • Republic of Serbia - Ministry of Information publications
  • Campaign material - February 1996 Law on the Election of Federal Deputies for the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly
  • Serbia - elections February 1996
  • Serbia - registered parties
  • Serbia - addresses of district election commissions
  • Montenegro - registered parties
  • Newspaper articles - February elections 1996
  • February election - lists of polling stations
• Box - Poland: 
  • Election law, including party statutes and background material
  • Background information and newspaper articles on Czech and Slovak republics
  • Campaign material - Poland 1990
  • Newspaper articles and background information relating to Poland 1991-1993
  • Campaign material and background information on Polish presidential elections, including presidential candidates
  • Personal notes and letters relating to the Polish elections - 1991-1993
• Box - Hungary: 
  • Information compiled by FIDESZ - Federation of Young Democrats (1994): 'Economic and Social Policies'; 'On the Road towards Europe'; 'Environmental Policy'; 'An Election Message of FIDESZ'
  • Manifesto of the Hungarian Socialist Party
  • Political stickers
  • Photocopy of Address to Lord P.R. Carrington, President, Conference on Yugoslavia, The Hague
  • FIDESZ Annual Congress, Pcs, Hungary, February 1 to 9 1992
  • FIDESZ Publications, 1991 and 1992
  • FIDESZ memorabilia
  • Photocopies of FIDESZ material
  • Posters
  • Manifesto of the Alliance of Free Democrats
  • Newspapers: October 1990; May 1991; Daily News - March 1990
  • Two videotapes (one untitled): 'Highlights of the Free Evening - the fifth anniversary of the Alliance of Free', SZDSZ, in the Budapest Sports Hall on 12.11.1993
• Box - Bulgaria 
  • Union of Democratic Forces Press Centre - information (1996)
  • Newspapers
  • Banners
  • Douma Daily, 26 January 1995 - Programme Declaration of Prime Minister Designate Jean Videnov to the 37th National Assembly
  • Various Political manifestoes
  • Statistical Reference Book of Bulgaria 1989
  • Election Reports, Analysis of Bulgaria Elections
  • Newspaper Articles - Bulgaria elections
  • Background material - elections Bulgaria
• Box - Albania, Romania, Russia
  • Albania - electoral platform of the Democratic Party
  • Newspapers - 1993
  • Posters of Petre Roman
  • Posters of Emil Constantinescu
  • Various Romanian newspapers - August 1992, September 1992
  • Romania - directory of public institutions and organizations
  • Background material, newspaper articles, personal notes on elections in Romania 1989 onwards
  • Romania - campaign material for 1989 elections onwards
• Box - (former) Czechoslovakia 
  • Various manifestoes
  • Campaign material - elections is Czechoslovakia
• Box - containing various political party flags and posters

By written application to either the Librarian or Deputy Librarian. A letter of introduction may be required and prospective users will be obliged to sign an undertaking outlining the terms and conditions of access to the research materials.

Dr Sarah Birch, Department of Government, University of Essex.

This record was compiled by David Borg-Muscat, UK Data Archive, using entries from:

Albert Sloman Library (2000) A Note on Special Collections, (University of Essex: Albert Sloman Library), p. 5.

Record entered by Nadeem Ahmad of Qualidata, UK Data Archive, University of Essex.

A record for all materials in the Special Collection is available via the Albert Sloman Library, Special Collections web page.

No part of the Special Collections material may be reproduced, published, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Albert Sloman Library. This may be obtained by application to the Librarian or Deputy Librarian.

In consultation with academic colleagues, the library special collections acquisitions staff evaluate collections by assessing their relevance to the teaching and research interests of the University.

In October 2002, Dr Sarah Birch presented Andrew Ellis' papers to the University of Essex.

It is unlikely that the collection will be added to in the future.

University of Essex: Albert Sloman Library.