Hungarian-American Coalition protests statue of anti-Semite Bálint Hóman

The Hungarian-American Coalition has somewhat surprisingly joinded a growing chorus of individuals and organizations in North America condemning the Orbán government’s decision to provide 15 million forints in funding for a statue in memory of interwar antisemitic politician and Minister of Education Bálint Hóman, who was among the most enthusiastic supporters of Hitler’s Germany, even as some in the government around 1943 were engaging in a type of see-saw politics, with divided loyalties between the Allies and Germany. The latest news in terms of the monument is that a handful of key ministers in the Fidesz cabinet are opposed to it, including most notably: László Trócsányi and János Lázár. But Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as usual, is of the mindset that he cannot “give in” to western criticism and thus appear “weak.” In Mr. Orbán’s increasingly twisted mind, the debate around the statue is now a question of national sovereignty.

*

As proud Hungarian-Americans and as longtime activists in the fight against rising anti-Semitism, we are calling on the Hungarian government to forcefully and unequivocally oppose the plans to erect a statue of Bálint Hóman in the city of Székesfehérvár later this month. Hóman was a Hungarian government minister who spearheaded Hungary’s anti-Jewish legislation and, in 1944, called for the deportation of Hungarian Jews. In fact, over 400,000 innocent Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz in that year and Hóman shares shameful moral responsibility for the tragic events during this dark chapter of Hungary’s history.

We wholeheartedly echo the outrage expressed by many organizations and citizens of conscience who have spoken out against this proposed statue. The US House of Representatives Bipartisan Task Force for Combatting Anti-Semitism has expressed its “deep concern” about the statue and has called on the Hungarian government to “publicly condemn Hóman’s role in the persecution and deportation of innocent Hungarians”. We add our voice to theirs in asking the government of Hungary to make it absolutely clear, in word and deed, that they oppose this monument and any efforts to rehabilitate or whitewash the terrible legacy of Bálint Hóman. It will not be sufficient for the government to suggest that this is a matter of local concern and control. The honor and reputation of the Hungarian people cannot be held hostage to the reprehensible decision of local officials to honor a man whose legacy is stained with the blood of thousands of innocent victims of the Holocaust.

Maximilian Teleki
President of the Hungarian American Coalition

Katrina Lantos Swett
President of the Lantos Foundation

A makeshift memorial erected in Székesfehérvár by those who oppose the planned Hóman-statue.

A makeshift memorial erected in Székesfehérvár by those who oppose the planned Hóman-statue.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *