The struggle of Hungarian émigré groups for the release of Hungarian prisoners. The history of the „White Book”

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
In 1950, a book was published in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, entitled
White Book concerning the status of Hungarian Prisoners of War illegally retained by the Soviet Union and Hungarian civilian persons forcedly deported by the Soviet authorities. The book was published by the Prisoner of War Service of the Hungarian Veterans, but the author of the volume was Rezső Palásthy, who spent three years in Soviet captivity. The book provides detailed data on the number of Hungarians who were taken into Soviet captivity. It also includes the recollections of German prisoners who returned to West Germany about the Hungarian prisoners. Until the fall of Communism, this was practically the only publication on the fate of prisoners of war and civilians who had been deported to Soviet captivity. The volume was published not only in Hungarian, but also in many other languages, including 2,000 copies in English, and President Harry S. Truman also received a copy. With the publication of this book, Hungarian émigré groups joined the efforts of the United States and the United Nations to free Hungarian prisoners in Soviet camps. In my presentation, I would like to talk about the creation and significance of this special work, and I would also like to pay tribute to its author, Rezső Palásthy, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
I am a scientific advisor at the Institute of History of the ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities in Budapest. My research interests include the Holocaust, forced population movements during the Second World War and the early post-war period, the Holocaust and the history of Hungarian prisoners of war and civilian internees in Soviet captivity.