HÀ NỘI Hundreds of photographs showing Việt Nam’s land and people, taken by Hungarian journalist László Rozsa from 1969 to 1974, during the country's struggle against the Americans, have been donated to the National Archives Centre III in Hà Nội.

Hungarian journalist László Rozsa (2nd left) seen during a mission trip to the liberated region of Đông Hà in Quảng Trị Province in 1972. Photos courtesy of the National Archives Centre III

At the handover ceremony on February 24, Gabor Rozsa, the late Hungarian journalist's son, said the family had meticulously preserved the images, before they were handed over to the National Archives Centre III.

László Rozsa (1923–2017) worked as a reporter for the Hungarian newspaper Népszabadság (Freedom of the People) in North Việt Nam from 1969 to 1971.

László Rozsa’s son, Gabor (4th right),and representatives of the National Archives Centre III at the donation ceremony on February 24 in Hà Nội.

After the Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, Rozsa became a member of the Hungarian delegation at the International Control and Supervision Commission (ICCS) in Sài Gòn (now Hồ Chí Minh City) which monitored the implementation of the agreement.

During his time in Việt Nam, Rozsa visited many battlefields and local districts, including Hà Nội, Thừa Thiên Huế, Quảng Trị and Lộc Ninh (Bình Phước), taking hundreds of photos depicting the land and people wherever he went.

A photo taken by László Rozsa depicting Vietnamese farmers at work in the North.

The photos were carefully preserved by Rozsa until his passing eight years ago, after which his family maintained the collection. Thanks to the efforts of various organisations and individuals, the photos were eventually handed over to the National Archives Centre III.

At the ceremony, Trần Trung Kiên, deputy director of the Department of Administrative Documents and Archives, along with other historians, emphasised the value of Rozsa's photographs.

Kiên said: “The Rozsa family's donation of photographs is significant, reflecting the goodwill of many generations of Hungarians towards Việt Nam. This event is even more meaningful as these images return to Việt Nam, preserved by Hungarian friends, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.”

A photo taken by László Rozsa depicting a young Vietnamese woman.

Trần Việt Hoa, director of the National Archives Centre III, expressed her gratitude to the Rozsa family for preserving and donating the photographs.

She said the photos will be carefully preserved at the centre, which is responsible for storing documents produced by the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam, now the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam.

“In the future, we will organise activities to promote this collection of photographs alongside other archival materials, contributing to the nation's development efforts,” she said.

Hungary was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Việt Nam on February 3, 1950 amid the Vietnamese hard struggle against the French. Since then, the relationship has continuously developed, achieving many significant milestones.

A photo of the vehicles of the International Control and Supervision Commission (ICSC), photographed by László Rozsa, was donated to the National Archives Centre III.

The Hungarian people have always offered sincere support to Việt Nam. During the mid-20th century, when Việt Nam was fighting for national independence, Hungary provided assistance, helping Việt Nam train many students and specialists in various fields, contributing to the country's nation-building and independence protection efforts. VNS