DEPORTATION OF THE JEWS OF BAČKA IN 1944

otherwise they would be immediately deported to Germany, and they already knew what was waiting for them.

Before these Jews from the city were deported, they were gathered all in a school near the train station, where a thorough search by RUDOLF ENGELMAN took place, Commander-in-Chief of the Guard / Hauptwachtmeister/. He, on this occasion, confiscated all the jewelry and even removed the wedding rings from the fingers of the deportees as well as money.

The Jews were not allowed to bring any other clothes with them except what they had brought on themselves. All that was left behind, as well as all the furniture, by special means, usual for the occupying force, was inventoried. During this time, many of the most beautiful and precious things were not included in the inventory, because the enumerators took them themselves and partly replaced them with their torn and worn things.

The main organizer of the inventory was JÁNOS SEREGI, former clerk, about 52 years old. Now residing in Szeged.

I would like to point out that on the first days of the occupation, the Jewish community, was blackmailed to collect 250,000 pre-war dinars within their church community as soon as possible by GYULA FERNBAH, aged about 65, a fugitive pharmacist from Stara Kanjiža. This money was collected through the Jewish church community and went into the city’s municipal cash register. It was said that if we did not pay this money we would be arrested and abused. Therefore, this payment is defined as a kind of punishment.

Finally, in April 1944 the Hungarian Royal Ministry of Interior order came out under no. 6163/1944 according to which it was decreed that all Jews should be gathered into the so-called ‘GHETTO’, i.e. to a shared part of a particular city. This order only applied to Jews from Bačka and Baranja. To prove this, I attach the original act, registered under confidential number 98/1944 to the former Hungarian police, who was registered on April 23, 1944, as well as the instruction for the execution of the order of the Ministry of the Interior no. 6163/1944. This order was signed by the State Undersecretary LÁSZLÓ BAKY. Vitéz LÁSZLÓ ENDRE also participated in issuing such and similar orders, acting as State Undersecretary in the Ministry of the Interior.

As proof that when collected in the so-called ‘GHETTOS’ treatment of Jews was illicit, even abusive, I attach the original act no. 563/1441944 from June 13, 1944, issued by the Provincial Grand Captain in Budapest dr BUÓCZ”. [...].

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