70th Anniversary Exhibition at the United Nations Headquarters, NY
Washington, DC – The Carl Lutz Foundation, Budapest in cooperation with the Tom Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and the Hungarian American Coalition will inaugurate an exhibit commemorating the Hungarian Holocaust on the occasion of the tragic events 70 years ago. The exhibit will open on January 23, 2014 at the UN New York Headquarters and will run until January 31, 2014. To attend the opening ceremony please register at Eszter@hacusa.org.
The exhibit was made possible by a generous grant from The Hungary Initiatives Foundation and the invaluable sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United Nations.
The exhibit presents a historical account of the Hungarian Holocaust in observance of the 70th anniversary of the deportation and extermination of the Hungarian Jews. The exhibit presents the greatest Hungarian tragedy of the last century through photographs and facsimile documents.
The first panel evokes the elements of coexistence and assimilation that characterized Jewish Hungary during the era until World War I. The next section describes how the country’s political leadership later used Jews as scapegoats for the country’s loss in the Great War. The exhibit describes limitations placed on the rights of Jewish citizens, as well as flagrant cases of terror and brutality. Between 1938 and 1944, several restrictive laws and decrees were passed; the Jewish community was gradually disempowered as they lost their livelihoods, and many were pressed into forced labor.
In 1944, the collaborationist Sztójay government forced Hungarian Jews to wear a yellow Star of David, imprisoned them in ghettos, deprived them of their property and deported them to concentration camps. One in every ten Holocaust victims, and one in every three victims of the extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, was a Hungarian citizen. The exhibit, along with familiar images from the Auschwitz album, presents witness testimonies. The exhibit also introduces the resistance and the deeds of rescuers: 806 Hungarians and several foreign diplomats serving in Budapest made demonstrable efforts to help the persecuted.
The closing part of the exhibit presents the assistance given to the deported returning to their countries, as well as data on restitution issues.
The sponsoring organizations would like to thank the United Nations Department of Public Information, NGO Section for their assistance, as well the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary for their supportive role in making this exhibit possible.