Circular letter from the Hungarian National Claims Settlement and Compensation Office
Object numberM2020/024:011
TitleCircular letter from the Hungarian National Claims Settlement and Compensation Office
DescriptionThis four-page circular letter from the National Claims Settlement and Compensation Office was sent out, presumably, to everyone whose claims against the Hungarian government were accepted. Whilst the letter admits that gross injustices occurred, there is no admission of guilt. The deprivation of citizenship and confiscation of personal property are acknowledged merely as 'property grievances'. The letter states that property cannot be returned but, instead, those with successful claims will be compensated monetarily. There is ensuing information about how to access the compensation vouchers.
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 (Agatha) 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.
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 (Agatha) 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 placeBudapest, Hungary
Production date 1993-03
Object namecircular letters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 298.00 mm
height: 291.00 mm
Language
- Hungarian National Claims Settlement and Compensation Office
Dated: Budapest, March 1993
Dear Madam / Sir,
I respectfully greet you on the occasion of having availed yourself of your right to compensation on the basis of the compensation legislation and shortly you will be able to receive your compensation vouchers,
Since 1939 a countless number of laws have been passed and used to deprive hundreds of thousands of Hungarian citizens of their properties that legally belonged to them. However, the hope lived on in the souls of former owners that once they would be compensated for their grievances.
The government elected at the first free election could not avoid this task, as no nation could deny its past.
The Government felt a moral obligation to rectify property grievances committed by previous regimes and therefore urged the Minister for Justice to get accepted the Act (detailed numbers included) aimed at partial compensation for unjustified damage caused by the state to the property of citizens.
In order to develop systemic ownership of property and end uncertainty around the state or property ownership, in accordance with modern market economy, the state will rectify previous grievances to private property not through the reprivatisation (return) of private property but through the partial monetary compensation of former owners.
This solution is supported by the historical fact that in the past fifty years certain properties had more than one owner, and in keeping with the principle of equality before the law, it is impossible to select which previous owner should have the property returned and which should be compensated with compensation vouchers. It is also a fact that in many cases the former property no longer exists or has been changed significantly so it is impossible to restore its original condition.
By now you are surely aware that the compensation is partial. This concept is supported by the nation’s ability to bear the burden as well as the circumstance that in the past – with impact on today’s way of life – not only the owners, but other layers of society have also suffered grievances, and there is no way to even partially compensate people for these.
Attached to my letter is a brief leaflet, meant to help you to decide how to use the compensation vouchers for investment purposes.
I ask you to consider how to use the vouchers and await the investment opportunity best for you. We will continuously inform you of possibilities through the media, our representatives abroad and with the attached brief leaflet.
I wish with all my heart that you use your compensation vouchers most advantageously, let your success be also the gain of the country!
On behalf of the Government and myself, I wish good health and much success.
Signed
Dr Tamás Sepsey
Secretary of State
[Three pages of very detailed instructions about vouchers, how to access them, special rules for people living outside Hungary, tax implications, etc.]
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.