Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Hungarians Flood Authorities with Applications for Confiscated Jewish Enterprises

Thousands of Hungarian, responding to the call of their government to apply for the acquisition of business enterprises, taken away from Jews are flooding the local authorities with applications for stores, the Jewish owners of which have been exiled from their homes to barbed wire ghettos, it is reported in Budapest newspapers reaching here today. […]

May 26, 1944
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

Thousands of Hungarian, responding to the call of their government to apply for the acquisition of business enterprises, taken away from Jews are flooding the local authorities with applications for stores, the Jewish owners of which have been exiled from their homes to barbed wire ghettos, it is reported in Budapest newspapers reaching here today.

The Pester Lloyd, organ of the Hungarian Foreign Office, says that in the town of Kosice, more than 6,000 non-Jews have applied for the several hundred Jewish stores closed down by the authorities under the general anti-Jewish laws. In Sopron-Oeden-burg more than 3,000 local non-Jewish residents are seeking to acquire 150 “liquidated” Jewish business firms. In the city of Kecskemet where 539 Jewish families resided before they were segregated into a ghetto, several thousand Hungarians have applied for the Jewish shops.

On the other hand, the Pester Lloyd reports that the segregation of Jews into ghettos has resulted in an acute shortage of artisans, especially of tailors, shoe-makers, dressmakers, millinery workers, bookbinders, and upholsterers. Many towns in Hungary are competing with each other in announcements inviting “Aryan” artisans to settle and to take over established Jewish artisan shops complete with tools and machinery.

“JEWISH DISHES” INTRODUCED IN RESTAURANTS; MUST CONTAIN NO FATS

New regulations published in the Hungarian press provide that in places where Jews have not yet been sent to ghettos and are still admitted to local restaurants, they are to be served ” Jewish dishes” only. These dishes, specially designated for yellow-starred Jews, must contain no fats.

Though Hungary has always been considered by Rumanian anti-Semites as the mortal enemy of their country, the Rumanian Iron Guard newspaper “Porunca Vremii” reaching here today from Bucharest lauds the present pro-Nazi Hungarian Government for its anti-Jewish measures. It says these measures evidence “an understanding in the spirit of continental solidarity which is so important in our days.”

The Fueggetlenseg, organ of the Hungarian Government, carries an article justifying the burning in Hungary of books by Jewish authors. “Hungarian literature written by Jews does not represent our culture. We readily accept the ‘disgrace’ of burning these books because we consider it a measure necessary to preserve Hungarian civilization,” the paper says.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement