May 15, 1944
Mass Deportations of Hungarian Jews Begin
Historical context
On this day, May 15, 1944, German and Hungarian authorities began systematic deportations of Jews from Hungary. About 437,000 people were deported by July 9.
Archive record
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- Date
- May 15, 1944
- Verified sources
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- Archive threads
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On this day, German deportation specialists and Hungarian gendarmes began systematic deportations of Jews from Hungary. Adolf Eichmann’s unit had been in Budapest since the 19 March German occupation. Provincial Jews had already been forced into short-lived transit ghettos.
Between 15 May and 9 July 1944, about 437,000 Jews were deported on 147 trains. About 420,000 were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most were murdered on arrival. Horthy ordered a halt on 7 July; deportations around Budapest continued through 9 July.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- 1944: Key Dates · United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Holocaust Encyclopedia View source
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