Borvendég Zsuzsanna: Fabulous Spy Games. How international trade networks with the West developed after 1945 - A Magyarságkutató Intézet Kiadványai 24. (Budapest, 2021)
EMIL HOFFMAN AND HIS CIRCLES - Nazis reloaded
EMIL HOFFMAN AND HIS CIRCLES Besides Becher, he was Monimpex’s most important partner and oversaw half of Hungary’s honey exports to West Germany, but he was also a contractual partner to both86 Terimpex87 and Hungarifrucht.88 Bickenbachs near monopoly on Hungarian exports to West Germany obviously clashed with the interests of Todenhöfer, who objected to this during a diplomatic meeting.89 János Nyerges, head of division at the Ministry for Foreign Trade (KKM) cannot have been indifferent to Todenhöfer ’ s opinion, since Todenhöfer had good relations with members of the German government through Kiesinger, who, at the time, was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the lower chamber of the German Federal Republic parliament. Making a Hungarian party leadership struggling with legitimacy problems agreeable to western powers was a pivotal issue in the months after the revolution, and Kiesinger and Todenhöfer already voiced their concerns over the news about the retributions in the spring of 1957. The declaration of martial law unsettled the public in the West, so they attempted to put pressure on their Hungarian negotiating partners that “such rulings were unnecessary, and even if such a ruling were to be handed down, it would be unnecessary to make it public.”90 Those shaping Hungarian trade policy had quite some manoeuvring to do to ease the moral concerns of the other party, but truth be told, the German delegation showed strong willingness to accept this window-dressing. Their political interests connected them: the Hungarian party hoped Kiesinger would be in line for an important government position in the near future, giving them a politician among the top decision-makers of West Germany who would take Hungarian economic interests into account, while Kiesinger was happy to show off even a modicum of foreign policy success because his support against Adenauer was not strong enough to see his 86 ÁBTL 3.1.5. O-12344/7-a p. 85 Executive report, 1 December 1961 87 Terimpex was engaged mainly in the trade of livestock and meat products, but the distribution of certain plant-based products was also among its activities upon its foundation, although these areas were later taken over by other companies. 88 Hungarofruct was established after 1956, taking over the monopoly on the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables from Terimpex. 89 ÁBTL 3.1.2. M-25447/1 p. 104 Note by János Nyerges about his trip to Germany, not dated. 90 ÁBTL 3.1.2. M-25447/1 p. 53-54 Report, 19 April 1957 35
