Debrecen - Jews of Debrecen

Jews of Debrecen

Jews were first allowed to settle in Debrecen in 1814, with an initial population count of 118 men within 4 years. Only 20 years later were they allowed to purchase land and homes. By 1919 they were 10% of the population (with over 10,000 community members listed) and owning almost half of the large properties in and around the town.

The Hungarian antisemitic laws of 1938 caused many businesses to close, and in 1939 many Jews were drafted into forced labor groups and sent to the Ukraine, where many died in minefields.

In 1940 the Germans estimated that 12,000 Jews were left in the town. In 1941 Jews of Galician and Polish origin were expelled, reducing the number of Jews to 9142. In 1942 more Jews were drafted into the Hungarian forced labor groups and sent to the Ukraine.

German forces entered the city in March 20, 1944 (Two and a half weeks before Passover) ordering a Judenrat (Jewish Council) headed by Rabbi Pal (Meir) Weisz, and a Jewish police squad was formed, headed by former army captain Bela Lusztbaum. On March 30 (a week before Passover) the Jews were ordered to wear the Yellow star of David. Jewish cars were confiscated and phone lines cut. During the Passover week, many Jewish dignitaries were taken to a nearby prison camp, eventually reaching the number of 300 prisoners. A week later all Jewish stores were closed, and a public book-burning of Jewish books was presided by the antisemitic newspaper editor Mihaly Kalosvari Borska.

An order to erect a ghetto was issued on April 28, in the name of the town mayor Sandor Kolscey, who opposed the act, and was ousted by the Germans. Jews were forced to build the Ghetto walls, finishing it within less than a month on May 15.

On June 7, all movement in or out of the Ghetto was prohibited and a week later all Debrecen Jews were deported to the nearby Serly brickyards, and stripped of their belongings, joining Jews from other areas.

10 families of prominent Jews, including those of Rabbi Weisz and orthodox chief Rabbi Strasser, along with the heads of the Zionist (non orthodox) movement joined the Kasztner train. (According to some sources, the Strasshoff camps were filled with Jews for negotiations in case the Germans could receive something for releasing these Jews, among them 6841 from Debrecen.) 298 of these Debrecen Jews were shot by the SS in Bavaria, after being told they would reach Theresienstadt. Some young Debrecen Jews escaped the town, lead by the highschool principal Adoniyahu Billitzer and reached Budapest, joining resistance movements and partisans.

Most of the remaining Debrecen Jews were deported to Auschwitz, reaching there on July 3, 1944. Debrecen was liberated by the Soviet Army on 20 October 1944. Some 4000 Jews of Debrecen and its surroundings survived the war, creating a community of 4640 in 1946 - the largest in the region. About 400 of those moved to Israel, and many others moved to the west by 1970, with 1200 Jews left in the town, using two synagogues, one of them established prior to WWI.