Records of László Endre, 1911-1945

  • Endre László iratai, 1911-1945
Identifier
XIV. 2.
Language of Description
English
Dates
1911 - 1945
Level of Description
Fonds
Languages
  • English
  • German
  • Hungarian
Scripts
  • Latin
Source
EHRI

Extent and Medium

8,26 linear metres Textual records, photographs, journals

Creator(s)

Biographical History

László Endre (1895–1946) was a lawyer, prominent civil servant and one of the most influential antisemitic politicians of the Horthy era. As Chief Constable of the Gödöllő district from 1923 to 1937, and Subprefect of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County from 1938 to 1944, he was the first to initiate anti-Jewish measures and bureaucratic procedures, which preceded and went beyond the existing discriminatory laws, triggering similar antisemitic measures in other counties. As administrative state secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of the pro-Nazi Sztójay government from April 1944, he initiated and directed the deportation of the Hungarian Jews. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes, sentenced to death and executed.

Archival History

Upon the liquidation of the subprefect’s office in 1950, the records of the subprefect were taken to the Pest County State Archives. The Endre collection was created in the early 1990s and arranged into thematic subgroups in 1995. 15 fascicles of miscellaneous records of 1919-1943 and 19th and 20th century family records, including photographs, were added by Zsigmond Endre, the son of László Endre, in the late 1990s.

Scope and Content

The collection contains the private records of László Endre, one of the most influential extreme right wing politicians in modern-era Hungary and one of the key perpetrators of the Holocaust. The most relevant part of the collection is his private correspondence (XIV.2.a.) with several dramatis personae of the interwar and World War II history of Hungary, many of those played roles in antisemitic and nationalistic policies, Jewish laws and the Holocaust, as well as thousands of persons representing the “Christian conservative” ruling and middle class of Hungary. The collection also holds letters written in German or English and anonymous letters, as well as a collection of greeting cards, invitations, and other letters of private or complimentary nature. Endre’s official correspondence is arranged into two parts: XIV.2.b.1. official correspondence with associations, political parties and organizations, mostly extreme right wing formations such as the Association of Awakening Hungarians (ÉME), Baross Alliance, Association of Hungarian National Armed Forces (MOVE), Alliance of Social Organizations (TESZ), student fraternities, comrades’ associations and agricultural alliances, as well as various companies, collectives, boards, editorial offices, publishing houses, banks and financial institutions and hotels. XIV.2.b.2. official correspondence with offices and state institutions, including parliament, ministries and municipal administrative bodies, army, law enforcement, schools and cultural institutions, courts, churches, transportation companies, and many others. Records of Disciplinary hold the files of procedures (XIV.2.c.) against László Endre as chief constable in 1937, and as subprefect in 1941 and 1943. XIV.2. d. contains various kinds of reports, statistics, registers, name lists and protocols created by the public administration of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County between 1921 and 1944; and XIV.2. e. holds Miscellaneous records of 1912-1945, which includes letters of denunciations and reports against Jews, list of Jewish doctors in Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County, speeches, studies, poems, notes and other writings by and private documents of Endre. Parts of the collection with little relevance include XIV.2. f. Invitations, flyers and other propaganda materials, XIV.2. g. Invoices, bills and various kinds of lists, XIV.2. Envelopes and stamps, and XIV. i. Journals, bulletins, and other periodicals.

System of Arrangement

The records of László Endre were arranged into 9 provenance subgroups (állag) by the topics of his private correspondence and other records, numbered from XIV.2. a. to XIV.2. i. Besides, there are 15 fascicles and 1 box of family records subsequently added to the collection (limbus). Correspondence is arranged by the names of senders and addressees, with the exception of XIV. 2. a. 8., which is arranged by thematic groups. Other kinds of records are arranged thematically and chronologically.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Publication Note

Ernő Lakatos, ed. A Magyar Állami Levéltárak fondjegyzéke, Vol. III. A Területi Levéltárak fondjegyzékei Part 13. A Pest Megyei Levéltár fondjainak jegyzéke. Budapest: Magyar Országos Levéltár, 1975.

Archivist Note

Description was prepared by László Csősz

Rules and Conventions

EHRI Guidelines for Description v.1.0