The Secret of my Father, Tamàs Szabó, Savior in Gestapo gap

The very first childhood memory I have of my father Kroly Szab, dates from the year 1947. I was just three years old. My father ran back and forth in our apartment in Budapest and grabbed his suitcase because he had to travel. We wrestled around a bit.Suddenly he came up with the idea to put me in the trunk and carry it around. I found this incredibly funny, even though it was very dark in the case. It was one of those glcklichen, serene moments of deep burrowing into my Gedchtnis.

Six years later, on 7 April 1953, my father suddenly disappeared. He was arrested on his way to work on the open road. For half a year we did not know where he was and what happened to him. Anxiety and concern given our everyday lives. In November 1953, he was then suddenly again outside the door – a broken man His clothes and his shoes were in tatters. He had fresh red scar on the head. His condition lie to only one conclusion: where he had been, he had been brutally tortured.

Father rarely spoke about what had happened to him. Until his death in 1964, he entrenched himself behind the wall of silence – and with it my mother. The fear of those who had tormented him about six months writing and signed him to silence, berschattete our existence. Even as a child I felt this fear in 1969 finally brought to me to leave Hungary and go to the West.

Despite, or perhaps because of this dark chapter of his life lie rid of me never. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, I began to investigate. The Hungarian journalist Maria Ember assisted me. The more sources we frderten evident over the years, the clearer it became apparent that my father had become a victim of intrigue, their masterminds were to look at Highest point in the communist power structure of Hungary and the Soviet Union.

A daring plan

I knew that my father had worked at the Swedish embassy in Budapest as a typewriter mechanic in 1944 and 1945 and there a narrow Verhltnis one of the diplomats used: Raoul Wallenberg. In spring 1944, the Germans occupied Hungary and immediately began the deportation of the Jews. The Swede Wallenberg was involved for their rescue. He fed thousands of Jews with Swedish Schutzpssen and brought them under Swedish protection in so-called houses, which he had rented for them. The more I frderte over the last two years of the war revealed, the more I realized that my father’s fate must have to do with Wallenberg who disappeared in January 1945.

By October 1944, the good diplomatic contacts Wallenberg sufficient to bring the Hungarian Jews to safety before the German machinery of destruction. But then the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party took over under the guided tour of Budapest Ferenc Szlasi the power and instituted a reign of terror by Nazi model. Jews were indiscriminately arrested, deported or shot down. Wallenberg’s contacts with the old Horthy regime could no longer cause. He had to come up with something new.

In this situation, my father came into play. Because his childhood friend Pl Szalai was not only a senior Arrow Cross but also a high official in the Hungarian police. Given this contact forged Wallenberg and his helpers a daring plan: they learned of an arrest campaign, my father dressed as a Gestapo officer should show up in the Arrow Cross, and “officially” request on behalf of the German occupier throughout the release of the captive Jews. Szalai DAFR should get him about the necessary certificates and authorizations, which he did willingly.

“The man in the leather coat”

Several witnesses reported coincidentally, my father gehllt in a black leather jacket appeared several times at the Arrow Cross, they anbrllte bossy and ordered the return of the people. This he waved the papers Szalai had worried him. His self-conscious performances always took effect. Intimidated by the sporty, slim, blond man with his blue eyes, the Arrow Cross did what he asked. In the jewish community, he was quickly given the nickname “The Man in leather jacket.”

The biggest coup succeeded on 8 January 1945. On this day, the Arrow Cross streamed a house that was under the protection of the Swedish Embassy, ​​and deported 154 Jews. They were divided into groups and had, like so many Jews before them, marching down to the banks of the Danube. There they were to be executed. “Shortly after our arrival were suddenly police trucks loaded with policemen,” said Eva Lw, which belonged to the exiles recalled. Angefhrt was the party of Szalai and my father. They stopped the action and brought the Arrow Cross to bring 154 people back down again into the Swedish shelter.

Among the rescued were located and the entrepreneur Lajos Stckler achtkpfige and his family. Stckler played a leading role in the Budapest Judenrat, and sat down heavily since 1944 for the food supply in the Budapest ghetto. He should also nine years later a victim of intrigue of the communist power structure, which is the underlying had sent my father.

Four days later, on 12 January 1945, my father, Wallenberg, Szalai and the jewish doctor Otto Fleischmann, the Wallenberg massively assisted in bailing met for dinner at the Swedish embassy. What they discussed on this occasion, is not more to follow. On 13 January, Wallenberg reported to the Russians, who were standing in front of Budapest, because he wanted to win meals for the Jews after the liberation Fri. Since he was gone without a trace. The three were the last to have seen Wallenberg alive.

Moscow under pressure

The international public took the disappearance of the flagship diplomat Wallenberg, who came from one of Sweden’s most influential business families, not just down. The suspect was circulated that he was always gone in the Russian torture chambers Fri. The international pressure on Moscow grew, especially since the Soviets could oppose the suspect not much: Wallenberg 1947 was come tatschlich Lubyanka prison in Moscow killed. But rather than admit this, decided to Sowjetfhrung, 1952, to wash one’s vest in and to push someone else to the murder in the shoes.

In May 2011, over 50 years after his arrest, I was finally able to the files of the Hungarian State Security (AVH) view and stated: My father was the pawn in this game of intrigue! In a mock trial, he should be tried and Pl Szalai ffentlichkeitswirksam to bury the issue Wallenberg endgltig.

Under Stalin, the Sowjetfhrung of fteren had zurckgegriffen on this instrument to enforce their interests or eliminate political enemies. The most famous case is probably the so-called rzteverschwrung. Allegedly wanted to poison the entire time militrische and political guided tour some of the most prestigious, jewish physicians of the USSR. Although the Vorwrfe were groundless, jewish doctors were serially arrested, tortured and then publicly condemned. Several were executed.

Originally the Sowjetfhrung had wanted to represent the murder of Wallenberg also as a jewish conspiracy. The alleged perpetrators were Stckler and Miksa Domonkos – one of the leading Kpfe the jewish community in Budapest. Supposedly they had murdered Wallenberg, “because he had not done enough for the salvation of the Jews.” The two, however, were tortured so badly that they have a process neither physically nor mentally berstanden huts. Domonkos died shortly after his release in 1953. Stckler remained until his death a nursing care.

From eyewitnesses to the offender

Therefore, the torturers nderten their tactics. Szalai and my father, who had seen Wallenberg as last, who is now the Hauptverdchtigten and were arrested. The indictment sttzte to a forced from Stckler under severe torture in Mar 1953 Gestndnis: “In January 1945 Kroly Szab Pl Szalai helped Raoul Wallenberg kill.” As the Hungarian political guided tour were exchanged in August 1953 a few months after Stalin’s death, on the instructions of Moscow and aufgelst several Hungarian detention camp, recanted his Stckler Gestndnis.

In mid-September, the Hungarian State Security decided to release my father. Not only because Stckler but because the terrorist instrument “show trial” was also made after Stalin’s death to the discontinued model. The baiting was set in the context of the general de-Stalinization and also blown off the Wallenberg process in the course of.My father was dodged. The other half months passed before he finally came to walk free in November, 1953. With good reason: he had also been trimmed so bel of his torturers, that it took weeks until the tracks were at least halfway healed.

over the internet, I could now make ten people locate where my father had saved his life between 1944 and 1945. They recorded their memories and sent them to Yad Vashem, the International Centre for Holocaust Research. There, his life’s work should be gewrdigt. 2012 after over 20 years of research, it was finally time: On 12 November was awarded to him posthumously in Jerusalem, the honorary title of “Righteous Among the Vlkern”. For the first time he was so distinguished for his decent performance except publicly.

Recorded by Johanna Lutteroth.