An open letter was published on the website of the American Hungarian Federation addressed to me. (Read here.) The letter questions my comment related to Colonel Ferenc Koszorús in the August 24 article, “Hungary’s Ambassador blames Obama’s influence on State Department for poor relations.”
According to the American Hungarian Federation’s website Colonel Koszorús is a Hungarian Hero of the Holocaust who “volunteered his services and mobilized the 1st Armored Division under his command to militarily intervene on July 5, 1944 to stop Laszlo Baky, a secretary of state in the Ministry of Interior for “Jewish Affairs,” from deporting the approximately 200,000 plus Jews from Budapest.”
Colonel Ferenc Koszorús.
Several highly respected historians disagree with this assertion.
- Yad Vashem has not honored Colonel Koszorús as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
- The Hungarian Jewish Community (MAZSIHISZ) does not support the Colonel Koszorús claim.
- The US Holocaust Museum doesn’t include Colonel Koszorús in its coverage of Budapest.
- The renowned Hungarian-American Holocaust historian Randolph L. Braham did not support the claim.
- History Professor László Karsai wrote that Colonel Koszorús’s story is a “legend” not a historical fact.
- WWII historian Mr. Krisztián Ungváry claims that the Colonel Koszorús’s story is without foundation.
Those who read Hungarian may access Prof. Karsai’s article by clicking here and Mr. Ungváry’s by clicking here.
György Lázár
People shouldn’t throw stones. It is very ironic, it would be the U.S. Holocaust Museum and Yad Vashem asserting ‘the Colonel Koszovas to be a ‘Legend.’
@ Don Hemiston
“People shouldn’t throw stones”
Why on earth not ?
Rest assured, if there is one real evidence of the heroism of Mr. Koszorús, there are enough power and money to cough it up very fast, if it has not happened yet:)
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I wish to add a footnote the Ferenc Koszorus discussion. On Sept. 7, 2008, Randolph Braham gave a Holocaust related talk at the Heritage Center of the American Hungarian Foundation in New Brunswick NJ. Zsofia Trombitas, Hungarian Consul in New York and Hon. Hungarian consul of New Orleans were present. Vitez Istvan Kun Szabo (Somerset NJ) commented on the heroism of Ferenc Koszorus describing his role as the saviour of Budapest Jewry. Prof. Braham replied that this was not true.