Efforts to rescue Jews History of the Jews in Hungary

budapest, hungary – captured jewish women in wesselényi street, 20–22 october 1944



holocaust shoe memorial beside danube river in budapest. shoes represent hungarian jews lost lives during holocaust.

very few members of catholic or protestant clergy raised voices against sending jews death. (notable bishop Áron márton s sermon in kolozsvár on may 18). catholic primate of hungary, serédi decided not issue pastoral letter condemning deportation of jews.

rome liberated on june 4, d-day landing in normandy on june 6. on june 15, mayor of budapest designated 2,000 (5%) starred houses every jew (20%+) had move together. authorities thought allies not bomb budapest because starred houses scattered around town.

at end of june, finally, pope in rome, king of sweden, and, in strong terms, president franklin d. roosevelt urged halt deportations. admiral horthy ordered suspension of deportations on july 6. nonetheless, 45,000 jews deported trans-danubian region , outskirts of budapest auschwitz after day. after failed attempt on hitler s life, germans backed off pressing horthy s regime continue further, large-scale deportations, although smaller groups continued deported train. in late august horthy refused eichmann s request restart deportations. himmler ordered eichmann leave budapest

according winston churchill, in letter foreign secretary dated july 11, 1944, there no doubt persecution of jews in hungary , expulsion enemy territory greatest , horrible crime ever committed in whole history of world....

the sztójay government rescheduled date of deportation of jews of budapest auschwitz august 27. romanians switched sides on august 23, 1944, causing huge problems german military. himmler ordered cancellation of further deportations hungary on august 25, in return nothing more saly mayer’s promise see whether germans’ demands met. horthy dismissed prime minister sztójay on august 29, same day slovak national uprising against nazis started.

in spite of change of government, hungarian troops occupied parts of southern transylvania, romania, , massacred hundreds of jews in kissármás (sărmăşel), marosludás (luduș) , other places starting september 4.

a memorial plaque carl lutz, swiss diplomat saved lives of thousands of hungarian jews during holocaust.