Framed display containing Istvan Katona's Buchenwald ID card and various artefacts taken from site
Object numberM2020/024:001
TitleFramed display containing Istvan Katona's Buchenwald ID card and various artefacts taken from site
Creator Stephen Casey
DescriptionFramed display of artefacts collected by Istvan Katona (Stephen Casey) as 'souvenirs' from Buchenwald concentration camp in the late 1990s, together with a copy of Istvan's Buchenwald ID card, identifying him as a Jew and a political prisoner. The souvenired objects include a piece of barbed wire, bricks, a broken insulator, and unidentified metal remnants gathered from outside the camp perimeter, discarded in a remote part of the forest. Istvan wrapped the barbed wire around the piece of brick, which was an unforgettable moment for him because when he was in Buchenwald in 1945, the barbed wire fence was always electrified.
Sometime after his visit to the site of his incarceration, Stephen assembled the artefacts and framed them as a physical reminder of his experiences. According to his son, John Casey, he kept the frame on display in his office at home to remind himself every day that he survived and to honour those who did not. After his death, his family added a plaque engraved with the date of his birth and death.
Istvan Katona (Stephen Casey) was born 29 June 1924 in Kartal, Hungary to Aladar and Erzebet (Elizabeth) Katona (nee Elefant). When Germany occupied Hungary on 19 March 1944, all Hungarian Jews were made to wear yellow stars and forcibly relocated to ghettos. Istvan and his family were deported to a ghetto in Bagolyuk at the beginning of April 1944 and he was conscripted into the ghetto police. In May 1944 Istvan was forced into compulsory military battery service in northern Hungary. Three weeks after his departure, his parents were deported to Auschwitz. His mother was sent to the gas chamber on arrival and his father was deported to Dachau where he was murdered on 27 February 1945.
During an armed uprising, Istvan and other members of the labour battalion were arrested by the Hungarian authorities and deported to Germany. Istvan arrived at Buchenwald concentration camp on 9 November 1944 and was assigned to forced labour as a registered electrician at the Panzerfaust factory in Schlieben. Later, he worked as an electrician in a hospital in Flossberg concentration camp.
He was deported to Mauthausen concentration camp on 13 March 1945. On 5 May 1945 the United States Armed Forces liberated the camp. Istvan returned to Hungary in June 1945 and began to search for family. He discovered that out of 41 relatives, only 5 had survived.
In 1948 he married Agota Halmi and they had two children, Andris (Andrew) and Janos (John).
In 1956 the Katona's fled the Hungarian revolution. They escaped to Austria and sought passage to Australia, but could not travel for six months because their son was sick. During this period the Katona's sought the legal advice of Karl Meth, a practitioner in Vienna, regarding a claim for compensation.
The Katona's arrived in Sydney on 19 June 1957. Istvan changed his name to Stephen and anglicised Katona to Casey.
In 1963 the Casey's pursued compensation from the German government in a claim which spanned almost two decades. Concurrently, they also sought compensation from the Hungarian government. Their claim for compensation for loss of freedom, health, and property was not advanced until the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Inc. (Claims Conference) took over in the 1990s. The resulting agreement, known as the Article 2 Fund, awarded Stephen with a monthly pension. In 2005 the Casey's received a letter from the Office of the German President, expressing regret that the original claim had not been granted.
Agatha passed away 24 April 2014. Stephen passed away 18 October 2015.
Sometime after his visit to the site of his incarceration, Stephen assembled the artefacts and framed them as a physical reminder of his experiences. According to his son, John Casey, he kept the frame on display in his office at home to remind himself every day that he survived and to honour those who did not. After his death, his family added a plaque engraved with the date of his birth and death.
Istvan Katona (Stephen Casey) was born 29 June 1924 in Kartal, Hungary to Aladar and Erzebet (Elizabeth) Katona (nee Elefant). When Germany occupied Hungary on 19 March 1944, all Hungarian Jews were made to wear yellow stars and forcibly relocated to ghettos. Istvan and his family were deported to a ghetto in Bagolyuk at the beginning of April 1944 and he was conscripted into the ghetto police. In May 1944 Istvan was forced into compulsory military battery service in northern Hungary. Three weeks after his departure, his parents were deported to Auschwitz. His mother was sent to the gas chamber on arrival and his father was deported to Dachau where he was murdered on 27 February 1945.
During an armed uprising, Istvan and other members of the labour battalion were arrested by the Hungarian authorities and deported to Germany. Istvan arrived at Buchenwald concentration camp on 9 November 1944 and was assigned to forced labour as a registered electrician at the Panzerfaust factory in Schlieben. Later, he worked as an electrician in a hospital in Flossberg concentration camp.
He was deported to Mauthausen concentration camp on 13 March 1945. On 5 May 1945 the United States Armed Forces liberated the camp. Istvan returned to Hungary in June 1945 and began to search for family. He discovered that out of 41 relatives, only 5 had survived.
In 1948 he married Agota Halmi and they had two children, Andris (Andrew) and Janos (John).
In 1956 the Katona's fled the Hungarian revolution. They escaped to Austria and sought passage to Australia, but could not travel for six months because their son was sick. During this period the Katona's sought the legal advice of Karl Meth, a practitioner in Vienna, regarding a claim for compensation.
The Katona's arrived in Sydney on 19 June 1957. Istvan changed his name to Stephen and anglicised Katona to Casey.
In 1963 the Casey's pursued compensation from the German government in a claim which spanned almost two decades. Concurrently, they also sought compensation from the Hungarian government. Their claim for compensation for loss of freedom, health, and property was not advanced until the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Inc. (Claims Conference) took over in the 1990s. The resulting agreement, known as the Article 2 Fund, awarded Stephen with a monthly pension. In 2005 the Casey's received a letter from the Office of the German President, expressing regret that the original claim had not been granted.
Agatha passed away 24 April 2014. Stephen passed away 18 October 2015.
Production placeAustralia
Production date 1990 - 1990
SubjectBuchenwald concentration camp, post-liberation return visits, concentration camp experiences, survivors
Object namesouvenirs
Dimensions
- width: 1050.00 mm
height: 1045.00 mm
depth: 200.00 mm
Language
- English
German
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by John Casey
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.