László Endre
Encyclopedia
László Endre was a Hungarian
right-wing politician and collaborator with the Nazis during the Second World War.
Born into a wealthy Abony
family, Endre obtained a degree in political science after service in the First World War and became a leading local government officer in Pest county. He became involved in the right wing nationalist society Magyar Országos Véderő Egyesület (MOVE) during which he became noted for his extreme cruelty, which may have been a result of syphilis
. He also became a member of various incarnations of the Hungarian National Socialist Party
and even led his own minor movements on occasion.
In 1938, he joined the governing party of Béla Imrédy
and became noted for his anti-Semitism
. Endre argued that the Hungarian government's anti-Jewish laws were not harsh enough, and on his own initiative he imposed further restrictions on Jewish life, such as banning Jews from beaches and spas, and excluding Jewish vendors from fairs - strictures which were later reversed by the Interior Ministry.
Endre did not rise to national prominence until 1944, when Hitler, impatient with Hungary's reluctance to commit fully to German war effort, ordered the invasion and occupation of Hungary. The Nazi occupiers dissolved the tolerant government of Prime Minister Miklós Kállay
, and forced the Hungarian regent Miklós Horthy
to replace Kállay with the Nazi sympathizer Döme Sztójay
.
A top priority for the country's new Nazi rulers was the annihilation of Hungary's Jewish population, which despite repression and economic hardships had survived the first years of the war largely intact. Endre, who in anti-Semitic circles was considered a "Jewish expert," was appointed state secretary in the Ministry of the Interior in the Nazi-controlled government under Interior Minister Andor Jaross
. He was given far-reaching powers to ghettoize and deport
the country's Jewish population. Along with László Baky
, Endre and Jaross eagerly helped Adolf Eichmann
amass and deport more than 400,000 Hungarian Jews between May and July 1944. Most of them were taken directly to Auschwitz concentration camp
, where they were quickly murdered in the gas chambers, and cremated. Hungarian Jews murdered at Auschwitz in the spring of 1944 account for almost one half of all Jews killed in the camp; it was with those deaths that Auschwitz-Birkenau took its place at the head of the grim list of Nazi killing centers.
Endre's excesses attracted the attention of regent Miklós Horthy, who as early as June called for his removal from the Interior Ministry; in July, Horthy finally succeeded in bringing the deportations to a halt.
Endre was removed from power in September of the same year; but he returned to government within a month when the Nazis deposed and arrested Horthy, and placed Ferenc Szálasi
's ultra-fascist Arrow Cross Party
in power; Endre served as Commissioner of Civil Administration. In March 1945, after Budapest fell to the Red Army, he fled to Austria
, but was captured and returned to his homeland.
In December 1945 Endre, Baky and Jaross (now known as "the deportation trio") were tried in Budapest and found guilty of the murder of Jews, and of acting against the national interests of Hungary. All three were executed (as were no fewer than four of Hungary's wartime prime ministers, including Béla Imrédy
and Ferenc Szálasi
). Endre was hanged on March 29, 1946.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
right-wing politician and collaborator with the Nazis during the Second World War.
Born into a wealthy Abony
Abony
-Geography:Abony is a town in the south-east of , between the Danube and Tisza rivers. It is from Cegléd and from Budapest, at an elevation of . The area is on the River Tisza's wide floodplain which approximates...
family, Endre obtained a degree in political science after service in the First World War and became a leading local government officer in Pest county. He became involved in the right wing nationalist society Magyar Országos Véderő Egyesület (MOVE) during which he became noted for his extreme cruelty, which may have been a result of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
. He also became a member of various incarnations of the Hungarian National Socialist Party
Hungarian National Socialist Party
The Hungarian National Socialist Party was a political epithet adopted by a number of minor Nazi parties in Hungary before the Second World War.-Early National Socialist groups:The initial HNSP was organised in the 1920s, but did not gain any influence...
and even led his own minor movements on occasion.
In 1938, he joined the governing party of Béla Imrédy
Béla Imrédy
Béla vitéz Imrédy de Ómoravicza was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1938 to 1939....
and became noted for his anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. Endre argued that the Hungarian government's anti-Jewish laws were not harsh enough, and on his own initiative he imposed further restrictions on Jewish life, such as banning Jews from beaches and spas, and excluding Jewish vendors from fairs - strictures which were later reversed by the Interior Ministry.
Endre did not rise to national prominence until 1944, when Hitler, impatient with Hungary's reluctance to commit fully to German war effort, ordered the invasion and occupation of Hungary. The Nazi occupiers dissolved the tolerant government of Prime Minister Miklós Kállay
Miklós Kállay
Dr. Miklós Kállay de Nagykálló was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary during World War II, from 9 March 1942 to 19 March 1944....
, and forced the Hungarian regent Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
to replace Kállay with the Nazi sympathizer Döme Sztójay
Döme Sztójay
Döme Sztójay born Demeter Sztojakovich was a Hungarian soldier and diplomat of Serb origin, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary during World War II.- Biography :...
.
A top priority for the country's new Nazi rulers was the annihilation of Hungary's Jewish population, which despite repression and economic hardships had survived the first years of the war largely intact. Endre, who in anti-Semitic circles was considered a "Jewish expert," was appointed state secretary in the Ministry of the Interior in the Nazi-controlled government under Interior Minister Andor Jaross
Andor Jaross
Andor Jaross was an ethnic Hungarian politician from Slovakia and collaborator with the Nazis....
. He was given far-reaching powers to ghettoize and deport
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
the country's Jewish population. Along with László Baky
László Baky
László Baky was a leading member of the Hungarian Nazi movement that flourished before and during World War II....
, Endre and Jaross eagerly helped Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
amass and deport more than 400,000 Hungarian Jews between May and July 1944. Most of them were taken directly to Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
, where they were quickly murdered in the gas chambers, and cremated. Hungarian Jews murdered at Auschwitz in the spring of 1944 account for almost one half of all Jews killed in the camp; it was with those deaths that Auschwitz-Birkenau took its place at the head of the grim list of Nazi killing centers.
Endre was removed from power in September of the same year; but he returned to government within a month when the Nazis deposed and arrested Horthy, and placed Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
's ultra-fascist Arrow Cross Party
Arrow Cross Party
The Arrow Cross Party was a national socialist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which led in Hungary a government known as the Government of National Unity from October 15, 1944 to 28 March 1945...
in power; Endre served as Commissioner of Civil Administration. In March 1945, after Budapest fell to the Red Army, he fled to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, but was captured and returned to his homeland.
In December 1945 Endre, Baky and Jaross (now known as "the deportation trio") were tried in Budapest and found guilty of the murder of Jews, and of acting against the national interests of Hungary. All three were executed (as were no fewer than four of Hungary's wartime prime ministers, including Béla Imrédy
Béla Imrédy
Béla vitéz Imrédy de Ómoravicza was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1938 to 1939....
and Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
). Endre was hanged on March 29, 1946.
Sources
- Philip ReesPhilip ReesPhilip Rees is a writer and librarian in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right.-Works:...
, Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890The Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890....