The ‘Hungarist Journal’, 1944-1945

Collection

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

Scope and content:: The collection holds the records of the activities and ideas of Arrow Cross leader Ferenc Szálasi and his Party from the origins of the movement in the early 1930s until October 1944, when the party assumed power. The material includes the pamphlets, speeches and other writings of Szálasi and other leaders and ideologues of the party, including Gábor Vajna, Emil Kovarcz, Gábor Kemény, Sándor Csia and Jenő Szőllősi, and Vilmos Kőfaragó-Gyelnik, notes on the history of the party, minutes of political meetings, circulars, flyers and other propaganda material, interviews and reports, bibliography and various other documents concerning the history of the party.

Archival history:: The records in this collection were captured by US Army troops in the territory of Nazi Germany after the armistice in May 1945. Many of the Arrow Cross political and military leaders, including Ferenc Szálasi were extradited to Hungary in 1945, where they were put on trial. The records of this collection were used during the people’s court trials against Szálasi and his associates. However, the originals were kept and eventually taken to the United States along with other captured Axis records. The textual records were microfilmed by the National Archives and Records Service between 1966 and 1972.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Arrow Cross Party (also known as Hungarist Movement) was the most popular right-wing extremist movement during the Horthy regime from the late 1930s led by former military officer Ferenc Szálasi. After Horthy’s attempt to extricate from war on 15 October 1944, they assumed power with Nazi support. From 16 October 1944 until 28 March 1945 Szálasi was prime minister of Hungary as well as its plenipotentiary head of state, bearing the title “Leader of the Nation.” Following the war, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Access points: persons/families:: Csia, Sándor 1894-1946; Kemény, Gábor 1910-1946; Köfaragó-Gyelnik, V. (Vilmos), 1906-1945; Szálasi, Ferenc, 1897-1946; Vajna, Gábor 1891-1946

Finding aids:: Elek Karsai, ed. ”Szálasi Naplója”. A nyilasmozgalom a II. világháború idején. Budapest: Kossuth, 1978.