May 29, 1938
Hungary Adopts the First Jewish Law
Historical context
On this day, May 29, 1938, Hungary promulgated Act XV, the First Jewish Law, capping Jews at 20 percent of specified professions and firms.
Archive record
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- Date
- May 29, 1938
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 3
On this day, Hungary promulgated Act XV of 1938, later called the First Jewish Law. It capped Jews at 20 percent of membership in certain professional chambers and of white-collar posts in larger commercial, financial, and industrial firms. USHMM records that Hungary enacted two further comprehensive Jewish laws in 1939 and 1941.
The 1920 numerus clausus had already limited Jewish university enrollment. The Second Jewish Law of May 1939 defined Jews in racial terms. The Third, in August 1941, banned marriage between Jews and non-Jews. Mass deportations from Hungary followed in 1944.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- The First Jewish Law in Hungary · United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Holocaust Encyclopedia View source
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