Language:
English
Year of publication:
2001
Titel der Quelle:
Yad Vashem Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
29 (2001) 241-280
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Jews History 1933-1945
;
Christianity and antisemitism History 20th century
;
Christianity and other religions Judaism 20th century
;
History
Abstract:
The climate of opinion in Hungary had been conditioned by centuries of Christian hostility to the Jews and Judaism. The leadership of the three major Christian denominations (Catholic, Reformed, and Evangelical) barely protested against the government's anti-Jewish actions. As the main bulwark of Horthy's regime, they approved the first and second anti-Jewish laws (1938-39), and opposed the third law (1941) only inasmuch as it affected Christian converts. In 1944, the leadership of the Churches tried to protect the converts and protested mainly against the methods of the Final Solution. The Churches undoubtedly contributed to Horthy's decision to halt the deportations in July 1944. Nevertheless, their reliance on covert negotiations with the government and their failure to offer clear-cut guidance to the clergy and masses also contributed to the climate that made the Holocaust possible. Many individual clergymen rescued Jews and converts; others supported Horthy's and Szálasi's policies. After the war, the Churches denied their co-responsibility for the Holocaust. Only in the post-communist period did Church leaders express repentance.
Note:
Reprinted in his "Studies on the Holocaust" II (2001). Appeared in Hungarian as "Magyarország keresztény egyházai és a holokauszt" in "Múlt és Jövő" 3-4 (2000) 43-60, "Tanulmányok a holokausztról" I (2001) 9-36, and in his collection "A Holokauszt Tinódija" (2014) 143-178.
,
In Hebrew:
,
"יד ושם; קובץ מחקרים" כט (תשסא) 187-218
URL:
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