FAS

Historians Seek Release of Rosenberg Grand Jury Records

01.31.08 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

A coalition of historians is petitioning a federal court in New York to release sealed grand jury records from the 1951 indictment of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.

The Rosenberg case, a crucible of atomic secrets, American communism, Soviet spying, U.S. counterespionage, and more, remains a landmark in the history of the Cold War. But after decades of debate and disclosure, some of the basic records of the case still remain inaccessible. The historians’ initiative aims to change that.

The National Security Archive, one of the petitioners, has published the petition along with a diverse collection of declarations here.