Between 1938 and 1941, Jews in Hungary were subject to anti-Semitic
legislation resembling that of Germany's Nuremberg laws. Jews,
defined in racial terms, were removed from public and economic
life. Prior to 1944, Jews were generally not subject to
deportations, though adult Jewish men were "drafted" for forced labor
service.
German forces occupied Hungary on March 19, 1944. In April, all Jews except those in Budapest were ordered into ghettos. Generally, Jews from the countryside were sent to ghettos in larger urban areas. According to regulations, ghettos were to be established in all towns and cities with populations greater than 10,000. In practice, county officials were given some leeway where to establish ghettos. There were seven ghettos in Vas megye, including one in Körmend.
Prior to the creation of the ghetto, Jews in Körmend had been subject to increasing restrictions. For example, they could only visit the market between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and stores only between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Other restrictions included being permitted to visit the bathhouse only one morning per week and being prohibited from leaving their apartments between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
The ghetto in Körmend was established on May 9th, 1944, bounded by Szóchenyi, Rába, Gróf Apponyi and Dienes Lajos streets and including the synagogue. This necessitated the movement of non-Jews from their properties within the boundaries as well as movement of Jews outside the boundaries into the ghetto. Between May 10-12, Jews from neighboring villages and hamlets including Csákánydoroszló, Egyházasrádóc, Ivánec, Molnaszecsõd, Nagyrákos, Örimagyarosd and Szarvaskend were brought to the Körmend ghetto. In all, the ghetto held over 300 Jews. By May 20th, the ghetto was surrounded by a two meter high wooden fence with guarded gates, built by its inhabitants. After that date, Jews were only allowed to leave the ghetto with passes signed by the police.
On May 23rd, thirty one passes were granted, for about 10% of the ghetto population. A team of four married women along with two men whose task was to carry purchases, were granted passes to shop during the restricted hours and thereby provide food for the ghetto inhabitants. The five-man Jewish Council were also granted passes to leave the ghetto on official business. In addition, two men were permitted to leave to collect and deliver mail and purchase newspapers. Some professionals and highly skilled workers, such as doctors, tinsmiths and plumbers, could be granted passes to continue their work among non-Jews. In the interest of expropriating Jewish property and businesses, some Jews were issued passes in order to assist with inventory and to settle accounts with suppliers. Other passes were granted in order to satisfy the need for temporary labor by local army and paramilitary units, the city administration and even individuals. For example, a team of twelve young women worked in the Prince Batthyány gardens and a team of five older women worked in another garden. Five women received passes for daily farm work. Eventually, altogether over 60 passes were granted. Even children could be issued passes. Twelve teenaged boys between the ages of 12 and 19 had the rather unusual assignment of collecting mulberry leaves to feed 51,000 silk worms being raised by the paramilitary youth organization Levente. Their group was later augmented by an additional 11 year old boy and nine girls between the ages of 9 and 14.
There was also limited traffic by non-Jews into the ghetto to fulfill such functions as ministering to converts and for building repairs.
On June 12, all Jewish men (including converts) born between 1896 and 1926 (aged 18 to 48) were called up as part of an ongoing mobilization for service in labor battalions. These labor battalions were usually sent to the Eastern Front, where they suffered high casualty rates. Also in early June, 15 Jews were transferred to Kõszeg.
Sunday, June 18th, was the last full day of the ghetto's existence. On Monday morning, June 19th, just over a month after the creation of the ghetto, the remaining Jews of Körmend were marched out the main gate and continued on foot through town to the railway station, where they were transported to the ghetto in Szombathely. By the afternoon, there were no Jews left.
From Szombathely, most were deported to Auschwitz on July 5, 1944. Some of the men were taken to the forced labor camp at Muhldorf near Munich, where the vast majority perished.
Towards the end of the war in 1945, the synagogue established in 1888 on the corner of Szechenyi and Dienes Streets burned and was destroyed.
Perhaps 20-30 individuals survived the Shoah. After the war, survivors re-established the community but by 1950 they had dispersed.
In 2004, as part of a country-wide commemoration, a Holocaust memorial was erected. The memorial was a work by local ceramic artist Ildikó Polgar.
German forces occupied Hungary on March 19, 1944. In April, all Jews except those in Budapest were ordered into ghettos. Generally, Jews from the countryside were sent to ghettos in larger urban areas. According to regulations, ghettos were to be established in all towns and cities with populations greater than 10,000. In practice, county officials were given some leeway where to establish ghettos. There were seven ghettos in Vas megye, including one in Körmend.
Prior to the creation of the ghetto, Jews in Körmend had been subject to increasing restrictions. For example, they could only visit the market between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and stores only between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Other restrictions included being permitted to visit the bathhouse only one morning per week and being prohibited from leaving their apartments between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
The ghetto in Körmend was established on May 9th, 1944, bounded by Szóchenyi, Rába, Gróf Apponyi and Dienes Lajos streets and including the synagogue. This necessitated the movement of non-Jews from their properties within the boundaries as well as movement of Jews outside the boundaries into the ghetto. Between May 10-12, Jews from neighboring villages and hamlets including Csákánydoroszló, Egyházasrádóc, Ivánec, Molnaszecsõd, Nagyrákos, Örimagyarosd and Szarvaskend were brought to the Körmend ghetto. In all, the ghetto held over 300 Jews. By May 20th, the ghetto was surrounded by a two meter high wooden fence with guarded gates, built by its inhabitants. After that date, Jews were only allowed to leave the ghetto with passes signed by the police.
On May 23rd, thirty one passes were granted, for about 10% of the ghetto population. A team of four married women along with two men whose task was to carry purchases, were granted passes to shop during the restricted hours and thereby provide food for the ghetto inhabitants. The five-man Jewish Council were also granted passes to leave the ghetto on official business. In addition, two men were permitted to leave to collect and deliver mail and purchase newspapers. Some professionals and highly skilled workers, such as doctors, tinsmiths and plumbers, could be granted passes to continue their work among non-Jews. In the interest of expropriating Jewish property and businesses, some Jews were issued passes in order to assist with inventory and to settle accounts with suppliers. Other passes were granted in order to satisfy the need for temporary labor by local army and paramilitary units, the city administration and even individuals. For example, a team of twelve young women worked in the Prince Batthyány gardens and a team of five older women worked in another garden. Five women received passes for daily farm work. Eventually, altogether over 60 passes were granted. Even children could be issued passes. Twelve teenaged boys between the ages of 12 and 19 had the rather unusual assignment of collecting mulberry leaves to feed 51,000 silk worms being raised by the paramilitary youth organization Levente. Their group was later augmented by an additional 11 year old boy and nine girls between the ages of 9 and 14.
There was also limited traffic by non-Jews into the ghetto to fulfill such functions as ministering to converts and for building repairs.
On June 12, all Jewish men (including converts) born between 1896 and 1926 (aged 18 to 48) were called up as part of an ongoing mobilization for service in labor battalions. These labor battalions were usually sent to the Eastern Front, where they suffered high casualty rates. Also in early June, 15 Jews were transferred to Kõszeg.
Sunday, June 18th, was the last full day of the ghetto's existence. On Monday morning, June 19th, just over a month after the creation of the ghetto, the remaining Jews of Körmend were marched out the main gate and continued on foot through town to the railway station, where they were transported to the ghetto in Szombathely. By the afternoon, there were no Jews left.
From Szombathely, most were deported to Auschwitz on July 5, 1944. Some of the men were taken to the forced labor camp at Muhldorf near Munich, where the vast majority perished.
Towards the end of the war in 1945, the synagogue established in 1888 on the corner of Szechenyi and Dienes Streets burned and was destroyed.
Perhaps 20-30 individuals survived the Shoah. After the war, survivors re-established the community but by 1950 they had dispersed.
In 2004, as part of a country-wide commemoration, a Holocaust memorial was erected. The memorial was a work by local ceramic artist Ildikó Polgar.
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| Holocaust
memorial by Ildikó Polgar |
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| Synagogue
plaque Left side: "Here began the Ghetto. From here left 384 Jews to the death camps. Right side: "At this place stood the Synagogue of the Körmend Jewish community. It was built in 1865 in the classical style. It burned down on March 28, 1945. Below: "Erected in memory by the Town Council of the City of Körmend" |
Memorial
list of those deported to Auschwitz |
Street sign. This street was in the Körmend ghetto. It shows the old and new names.
