"Following the First Vienna Arbitration, on November 2, 1938 the southern part of today's Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia, including Košice, was annexed by the Kingdom of Hungary. Over 20,000 Slovak and Czech officials left the city, and approximately 1,000 Jewish residents were expelled, citing their unresolved citizenship status. At the same time, thousands of Hungarian officials relocated to the city.The residents found themselves under a conservative authoritarian regime, where the first anti-Jewish law had already been in force, soon followed by additional anti-Jewish measures. After the bombing of Košice (June 26, 1941) by three unmarked aircraft - which destroyed the post office, several buildings, and killed dozens of residents - Hungary entered World War II on the side of the Axis Powers. That same year, on August 27–28, 1941, tragedy struck near the village of Kamenec-Podolský on Nazi-occupied Soviet territory, where approximately 22,000 Jews deported from Hungary, including 200 - 300 from Košice, were murdered. The government's anti-Jewish policies escalated further following the Nazi occupation of Hungary on March 19, 1944. Between May 14 and July 9, more than 437,000 Jews were deported from the country, including the Jewish community of Košice. The movable and immovable property of the deported Jews was seized by the city or state institutions and redistributed to the German and Hungarian armies as well as to non-Jewish applicants. On October 15, 1944, the regime of Regent Miklós Horthy came to an end, when the Hungarian pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party seized power by force. They imposed the reign of terror and resumed deportations to Nazi extermination and labor camps. Over 600 people were deported from Košice in November and December 1944, including political opponents, Jews from mixed marriages, and Roma. Additionally, hundreds of young men from Košice, aged 16 - 18, were also sent to the western front. During this period, dozens of public executions took place in and around Košice, claiming the lives of hundreds more. This dark chapter came to a close on January 19, 1945, with the arrival of the Red Army in Košice."

November 2, 1938 

Arrival of the Hungarian army and Regent Miklós Horthy in Košice

November 11, 1938 

May 5, 1939 

June 26, 1941 

Hungary enters World War II on the side of the Axis Powers

June 27, 1941 

August 8, 1941 

Massacre at Kamenec-Podolský on Soviet territory, with approximately 26,000 Jews murdered, including 200–300 from Košice

August 27–28, 1941 

September 6, 1942 

German occupation of Hungary, including Košice

March 19, 1944 

Beginning of the concentration of the Jewish population in various parts of the city

April 20, 1944 

Jewish population concentrated in two camps at the brickyards

April 25–27, 1944 

First Košice transport departs for Auschwitz-Birkenau

May 16, 1944 

Last Košice transport departs for Auschwitz-Birkenau

June 3, 1944 

The pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party comes to power under Ferenc Szálasi

October 15–16, 1944 

Transport departs from Košice to Komárno

Early November 1944 

January 5, 1945 

January 17, 1945 

January 19, 1945 

Košice in 1938 – 1945

Objective: With the help of period sources (visual, written, and audiovisual), students will be able to identify the location and function of the now-demolished Košice brickyards during the war. Through real-life stories, students will describe the fate of the Jewish community in Košice during that time.


Research Question: What happened at the Košice brickyards?

Košice in 1938 – 1945

Aktivity