Records of Secretary of State Aurél Halla, 1936-1938

Collection description

Holding institution (official language):: Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár Országos Levéltára

Scope and content:: The overwhelming majority of the records of the Ministry of Trade and Transportation were destroyed during the siege of Budapest in 1944-45, when the main building of the ministry was ruined by bomb attack. Therefore, the records of the ministry which survived in other collections have special relevance for the study of the economic anti-Jewish policies in Hungary. State Secretary Aurél Halla was one of the key persons in the Ministry of Trade and Transportation responsible for the planning and implementation anti-Jewish legislation. Halla also worked for various companies and he was an active member of various right-wing social and professional associations and had a notable publication record. His large collection of documents is also relevant for the study of antisemitic radicalisation in Hungary in general. The collection holds his extensive correspondence concerning the anti-Jewish laws, his proposals made to modify the second anti-Jewish law in 1939, administrative files of the ministry, reports and proposals prepared by departments of the ministry, the five-year program plan of the ministry, letters and requests addressed to Halla, as well as the press articles he copied that reported on the evolution of the anti-Jewish policy in Hungary.

Archival history:: The records were obtained by the Hungarian National Archives in the early 1950s.

Administrative/biographical history:: Aurél Halla (1880-?) was a judge and economic expert and a member of the Hungarian Parliament (elected in the city of Szombathely in 1935). He was employed at several ministries and was appointed first the administrative and then the political secretary of state at the Ministry of Trade and Infrastructure (1936-1938). Halla was thus involved in developing the Ministry's five-year program of investment that, among others, foresaw the antisemitic reorganisation of significant parts of the economy.

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic legislation; Antisemitism--Antisemitic measures

System of arrangement:: Halla’s official correspondence (Boxes 1-4) is arranged by registry numbers. His miscellaneous papers (Boxes 4-8) are arranged thematically.

Finding aids:: A file-level finding aid (raktári jegyzék) is available for the collection