Collection of documents related to Istvan and Agota Katona's compensation claim in Hungary
Object numberM2020/024:010
TitleCollection of documents related to Istvan and Agota Katona's compensation claim in Hungary
DescriptionThis collection of documents refers to the Katonas' claim for compensation in Hungary, mostly related to property. It includes:
correspondence with Hungarian lawyers as well as personal letters (both typed and hand-written)
certificates from the Budapest Jewish Community which document Agatha's and her parents' wartime whereabouts in Hungary
several documents from the Hungarian government which acknowledge the Katona's as 'victims of Nazism', including formal certificates which acknowledge (and apologise for) the loss of personal freedom and the forced relocation to ghettos
The correspondence with the Hungarian lawyers provides information on compensation claims post-1947, after the election wherein the Communist party consolidated its power in parliament. Though the return of property had been deemed 'unconstitutional', an office for compensation had been established and financial restitution was available for those seeking compensation. Accompanying this claim are several personal letters from friends/family. Additional to the Casey's compensation claim against the German government, a decision was made in 1993 to award Istvan Katona 140000 Fornits for the loss of property which was nationalised without compensation.
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.
correspondence with Hungarian lawyers as well as personal letters (both typed and hand-written)
certificates from the Budapest Jewish Community which document Agatha's and her parents' wartime whereabouts in Hungary
several documents from the Hungarian government which acknowledge the Katona's as 'victims of Nazism', including formal certificates which acknowledge (and apologise for) the loss of personal freedom and the forced relocation to ghettos
The correspondence with the Hungarian lawyers provides information on compensation claims post-1947, after the election wherein the Communist party consolidated its power in parliament. Though the return of property had been deemed 'unconstitutional', an office for compensation had been established and financial restitution was available for those seeking compensation. Accompanying this claim are several personal letters from friends/family. Additional to the Casey's compensation claim against the German government, a decision was made in 1993 to award Istvan Katona 140000 Fornits for the loss of property which was nationalised without compensation.
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 date 1957 - 2004
Object nameofficial correspondence
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 292.00 mm
Language
- Hungarian
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.