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Susanne Reyto's recollections are vivid and fascinating

Susanne Reyto's recollections are vivid and fascinating. Many are supported by rare government documents that substantiate what some had thought was only speculation. You may be shocked at what they describe and baffled at how such things could possibly have occurred.

Under Communism, the government controlled and dictated our lives. We had no rights. We had to abide by their rules and orders, we had no other choice. The following translated excerpts are testimony to that oppressive life.

The first document is a copy of a correspondence between the Prime Minister and his deputy, recommending a procedure of displacement of a select group which included my parents and I. Followed by other documents that illustrate their evil plan.

Highly confidential:

Comrade Rakosi, Farkas, Revai:

Attached is the committee’s recommendation for the deportation process from Budapest.

Having read their recommendation, it is my opinion that the committee wants to create too much attention, which would be politically harmful. I believe there is no reason to rush into deporting 12-18,000 people in a hurry, within one week, from Budapest. We have to do it slower and quietly. There is a drawback if we do it slowly, as those who expect to become victims sooner or later will sell their valuables and furnishings under the table, or hide them with friends. I believe this we could handle. However, the slow, methodical process will have the advantage of fewer mistakes, easier placement of the people in the country for both accommodations and job assignments, and it will not look like a massive late-night brutal method of transportation… I believe we should carry out 100-150 deportations per week and continue until the fall. Accordingly, we only need to use the ministries very little, since we have already assigned them a larger workload than they can handle.

1951 April 27.   Gero Erno

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Minutes

Recorded May 5, 1951, 12noon, with regard to the elimination of undesirable persons from Budapest.

Present: Rakosi, Gero, …

The committee regarding the elimination of undesirable people from Budapest recommends the following procedure:

     The elimination procedure will be carried out by the Ministry of Interior with the complete assistance of the AVH…

The first week they will be taken to Szolnok district.

      The removal and elimination will be done through police channels, and within 24 hours of notices being sent. The deportees’ personal belongings will become property of the State and sold off at the National Antique Shop. We have to work out whether to put several families in one box car or only one. Perhaps a passenger car can be attached to the train.

     We have to make sure that there will be no gathering of any kind at the train stops on the way. Only the local police to inform them of their assigned Housing, and they can only leave with the permission of the local authorities. The displaced people’s apartments will be assigned to 30% military officers, 40% industrial workers, and 30% Party officials and ministerial employees. The actual apartment assignments must be worked out with comrade Pongracz, according to the above breakdown.

Rakosi, First secretary

<<<<<>>>>>

Report

Regarding the displacement of undesirable people from Budapest. The transport begins at 4 a.m. and is done by truck, making two rounds of pickups. On arrival at the new location the transfer from train station to houses depends on local conditions, either by truck or horse-drawn cart. This week, the first group on May 22 went to Kotelek, the second to …

According to the experiment so far, the displacement was orderly. We recommend increasing the displacement to 200-225 families, the truck making three rounds. By beginning at 3am, the transfer and boarding can be complete by 10am.

Budapest, May 26, 1951   -  Hazi”

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Document issued to my parents:

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

03371  number  

FINAL DECISION

I.

FEKETE GYORGY..original profession..TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT WHOLESALER

BUDAPEST ……

XIII …district …FURST SANDOR …street…. 9…the undersigned resident and living in the same household...MRS FEKETE GYORGY and child Fekete Zsuzsanna Marianna…(handwritten in later)……………………………………………...

according to the…8130/1939 K.B number order and the 760/1939 number order ……….

I ORDER TO EXPEL IMMEDIATELY FROM THE TERRITORY OF BUDAPEST AND I DESIGNATE AS PLACE OF RESIDENCE…SZOLNOK…district…………

…KOTELEK…town… In case you want to settle in another district (at a relative’s or friend’s), after occupying the present ordered location you must submit a request for a new residence to the appropriate district. You have to submit an affidavit from the person inviting you and the appropriate district County council that they are willing to accept you.

Complaint against this final decision can be submitted only to the Budapest Police Headquarters. In spite of any complaint, this order is final and non-postponable.

II.

By this order of the government…1/a 6.000/1940 number … … your home, which is the result of this expulsion must be transferred in writing within 24 hours.

BUDAPEST, 1951 MAY 18………………………………

Stamp of the Interior Ministry…           

                                                         ...Signature

Additional information on reverse.