Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 77. (Budapest, 1976)

TANULMÁNYOK - Kapronczay Károly: A lengyel menekültügy orvosi ellátása és szervezete Magyarországon a második világháború alatt, 1939—1945 (angol nyelven)

on the frontier in accordance with the existing Hungarian laws. The majority of the refugees arrived in closed military formations; they were regarded as military prisoners, their disarmament, accomodation in camps, and their maintenance formed the task of the 21st Department of the Ministry of Defence.

3 The treatment of the civilian refugees needed a separate organization. By its nature their case fell under the authority of the Aliens' Department of the Ministry of the Interior (Külföldieket Ellenőrző Országos Központi Hatóság, KEOKH

), but due to the political nature of the case and because of the great number of the refugees Teleki, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of the Interior, Ferenc Keresztes-Fischcr, a man known for his lack of sympathy with nazism, had no intention to treat the refugee question as a mere police affair. Ingeniously they decided to treat the case as a social one and placed it under the charge of the IXth (Social and Welfare) Department of the Ministry of the Interior. This Department— headed by Dr. József Antall, who was also appointed special commissioner for refugees- had to provide for the basic needs of the refugees and established camps for this purpose.

1 Dr. Antall

5 was a man of liberal and democratic convictions, and an opponent of Nazi Germany; in organizing the affairs of the Polish refugees he was guided by sincere humanistic feelings as well as by political considerations, and his direction consciously left the way open for anti-fascist activities. In this respect it is impossible not to mention the important role of the Minister of the Interior: the person and policies of Ferenc Keresztes-Fischer are by no means unequivocal, but it is obvious that without his knowledge and acquiescence there could have been no pro-Polish, anti-Nazi activity going on in the Ministry led by him. Already in the very first days it was clear that the affairs of the refugees were to be organized on a long-term basis. In addition to providing for their immediate physical needs the problems of life in exile had to be tackled, including moral questions, culture, education and health. All that could be dealt with only after sending the refugees into the final camps. These camps were set up in districts far from where the pro-Nazi Arrow-Cross Party or the Nazi-led Volksbund (of the German minority of Hungary) was active. In fact the term "civilian camp" is misleading: the area of these "Polish camps" was identical with the administrative boundary of the village or town where they were set up, and the Poles were accomodated in the homes of the civilian population." The commanding officer of the camp was the village notary or the burgomaster respectively, supported by a Polish principal elected from and by the refugees.

7 3 O. L. K. 150. B. M. IX. ügyosztály iratai. 4024. tétel. I O. L. K. 150. B. M. IX. ügyosztály iratai. 4024. tétel. 5 Dr. József Antall (1896—1974) was a ministerial counsellor in the Ministry of the Interior and an old member of the Smallholders' Party. Throughout the war he maintained close contact with the Parliamentary Opposition and with the various representatives of the Allies. On 19 March he was arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo. After the war he became a M. P., was state secretary in the Provisional Government, and Minister of Reconstruction and Public Works in the first two coalition governments. He was also a President of the Hungarian Red Cross. II O. L. K. 150. B. M. IX. ügyoszt. iratai. 4025 — 4027. tétel. These papers contain lists and surveys and other matters of the refugee camps. The two relevant ministerial orders: 14 299/39. and 23 162. Res. VI-B. 1939. szig. bizalmas. 7 254/1939. Men. 5 January 1940.