Holocaust in Hungary

Holocaust in Hungary. The systematic persecution and murder of Jews in Hungary occurred primarily during the final year of World War II, following the German occupation of Hungary in March 1944. Although Hungary was an ally of Nazi Germany under the regime of Miklós Horthy, the large Jewish population remained relatively protected until the direct Nazi takeover. The subsequent operation, masterminded by Adolf Eichmann and swiftly implemented by Hungarian authorities, led to the ghettoization, deportation, and extermination of most provincial Jews within a few months, primarily to Auschwitz concentration camp.

Background and pre-war situation

Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the Kingdom of Hungary under Regent Miklós Horthy passed a series of anti-Jewish laws, beginning with the Numerus Clausus act of 1920. The situation deteriorated significantly with the passage of the First Jewish Law in 1938 and the Second Jewish Law in 1939, which severely restricted Jewish participation in the economy and professions. These laws were influenced by the racial policies of Nazi Germany, Hungary's principal ally since the Tripartite Pact, and were intensified after Hungary regained territories from Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia via the Vienna Awards and the Invasion of Yugoslavia. By 1941, Hungary had a Jewish population of approximately 825,000, including communities in cities like Budapest, Debrecen, and Szeged.

German occupation and anti-Jewish measures

Fearing Hungary might seek a separate peace with the Allies, Germany launched Operation Margarethe and occupied the country on March 19, 1944. A puppet government was installed under Prime Minister Döme Sztójay, while SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann arrived with his Sondereinsatzkommando to oversee the "Final Solution." The Hungarian authorities, including the Gendarmerie and the Ministry of the Interior, cooperated fully. Key measures included the compulsory wearing of the yellow badge, the confiscation of Jewish property, and the establishment of the Jewish Council in Budapest. These actions were codified in new decrees and supported by figures like Andor Jaross and László Endre.

Ghettoization and deportations

From April 1944, Jews outside Budapest were forced into ghettos and makeshift collection centers, often in synagogues or brickyards, in cities like Munkács, Kassa, and Nagyvárad. The Arrow Cross and Gendarmerie enforced this process with brutality. Deportations to Auschwitz began in mid-May, organized by Eichmann and Hungarian officials like László Baky. The transports, primarily on the Hungarian Railway Network, were exceptionally efficient, with over 437,000 Jews deported by early July, most sent directly to the gas chambers upon arrival. The mass killings were documented in the Auschwitz Protocols compiled by Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler.

Rescue efforts and resistance

Despite the overwhelming speed of the deportations, several rescue efforts emerged. Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg issued protective passports and established safe houses in the International Ghetto in Budapest. Other rescuers included Giorgio Perlasca, Angelo Rotta, and members of the Zionist youth movement. Underground resistance groups, such as the Halutz resistance, forged documents and attempted sabotage. The Horthy government halted deportations in July 1944 following international pressure, including a warning from the U.S. State Department and protests from Pope Pius XII, but the Arrow Cross Party coup under Ferenc Szálasi in October led to renewed atrocities, including death marches and killings along the Danube.

Aftermath and legacy

By the end of the war, approximately 565,000 Hungarian Jews had been murdered. Soviet forces, including the Red Army, liberated the Budapest Ghetto in January 1945 and Auschwitz later that month. Post-war, key perpetrators like László Endre and Andor Jaross were tried and executed by the People's Tribunal, while Adolf Eichmann was later captured by the Mossad and tried in Jerusalem. The events are memorialized at sites like the Shoes on the Danube Bank and the Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest. The Holocaust in Hungary remains a central subject of historical study, addressed in works by scholars like Randolph L. Braham and commemorated annually on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Category:The Holocaust Category:History of Hungary Category:1944 in Hungary