Kisné Cseh Julianna (szerk.): Tatabányai Múzeum 2015-2016 - Tatabányai Múzeum Évkönyve 4. (Tatabánya, 2016)
Macher Péter: A Magyar Általános Köszénbánya Rt. gazdasági teljesítménye a II. világháború időszakában 1939–1944
132 Macher Péter Economic performance of the Hungarian General Collieries Joint Stock Company during World War II 1939-1944 Macher, Péter There are several studies of local history regarding the activities of Hungarian General Collieries Joint Stock Company (MÁK Rt.) in Tatabánya. The most comprehensive information on this subject was seemingly provided by sudies in The history of Tatabánya Vol 1-2 (1972) books. However, these studies have only simplified and demoted the company’s overall activity to a labor movement story, moreover, the authors also forgot to put these local processes into a larger context. This lack of context has left its mark also on later local history writers in Tatabánya. One of the exceptions is the scientific work of Péter Simonik, who tried to draw parallels between the social policies of MÁK Rt. and the national and European trends of that time. This study discusses the economic importance of MÁK Rt. and its industrial area in Tatabánya on a national level. To understand all this, it’s important to exposit some of the prior major events and the economic circumstances of that time. After the turn of the century, thanks to the developing industrial area of Tatabánya, MÁK Rt. has reached a high level of economic success, its shares were listed on stock exchanges of Budapest, Vienna, Geneva and Lyon. Although the world economic crisis of 1929-1933 caused hard times for MÁK Rt., as well (its production had exceeded the pre-crisis level by 1938), the company had become the country’s biggest coal producer corporation by the end of the 1930s. It had a large network of subsidiary companies, and in addition to its main profile, MÁK Rt. carried out a number of different industrial and economic activities. The company’s share capital was 48 400 000 Hungarian pengő in 1937. At first, MÁK Rt. was involved in the economic prosperity caused by the war (e.g. construction of aluminum smelter), but during the war, the company had to face not only the conquering ambitions of German funds but also the excessive demands and restrictions of the government. Soon, workers’ welfare problems have also occurred at the company which was utilised for military purposes. These issues led to a workers’ strike in 1940, causing significant economic damages. According to the authors of The history of Tatabánya Vol 1-2, MÁK Rt. was serving the political system’s „aggressive” and „fascist” politics of war. However, truth is that the state exploited the company heavily, thus undermining and disturbing its economic activities. It should also be noted that the state intervened in the life of companies during the 20th century, controlling their economic activities and social policies with a number of regulations. This was an unusual practice in the 19th century. The facts discussed in this study were also parts of this process of long-term government intervention. After World War II, the extent of government intervention has not decreased either, actually, it got a further boost: the nationalisation of coal mines (1946), and later the nationalisation of factories with more than 100 employees (1948). And this is how the approximately 60-year history of MÁK Rt. ended.
