Borvendég Zsuzsanna: Fabulous Spy Games. How international trade networks with the West developed after 1945 - A Magyarságkutató Intézet Kiadványai 24. (Budapest, 2021)
‘FABULOUS’ IN HUNGARY - The role of Frankfurt
FABULOUS SPY GAMES etiquette. This indicates both Kiesinger’s isolation in international politics and János Nyerges’ pivotal role in German-Hungarian economic cooperation. Emil Hoffman recognised Nyerges ’ significance, too: in a note written a year later, he stated that “ Nyerges is controlling western trade in its entirety.”288 He may not have been overly exaggerating. 288 ÁBTL 3.1.5. 0-12344/5 p. 189 Report, 29 January 1963 289 Ruff 1998, p. 1128 290 ÁBTL 3.1.5. 0-12344/2 p. 87-188 Note to Comrade Baczoni, 23 November 1960 The role of Frankfurt Of all the capitalist countries, trade with West Germany was already far ahead from the late 1940s onwards, and still ranked fourth in the total volume of trade after the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and the GDR even in the mid- 1950s.289 It is therefore hardly a surprise that Hungarian party politicians were divided on extending trade relationships further. They were concerned that West German capital may acquire disproportionate influence in the Hungarian economy. This did not cause any headaches for the Ministry of Foreign Trade until the summer of 1957, when they were faced at the trade negotiations with a more reluctant position on the part of the German delegation regarding the purchase of Hungarian agricultural produce. They were trying to put pressure on the German partner by forcing Hungarian foreign trade companies not to purchase supplies from the West German market. They drew up trade policy guidelines for these companies, directing traders towards French, English, Italian and Swiss markets instead of Germany.290 The instructions issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade brought the desired results, and German imports fell both in total value and in terms of share: while 5.6 percent of total imports to Hungary came from West Germany in 1958, this decreased to 4.9 percent in 1959. The most striking results were recorded by Chemolimpex: whilst capital investments from West Germany accounted for 40 percent of 108
