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)

The commanding officers of the camps received instructions and provisions directly from the head of the IXth Department. In this way it was hoped that the activities of the German spies "planted" in the administrative apparatus of the country could be curtailed. At first the number of the inhabitants of the camps was checked every day, but later this was done only on every tenth day, when the daily allowances were paid.

8 This is explained by the fact that already at the end of September 1939 the Poles started to escape to Yugoslavia with a view of joining the Polish forces established in France. In Budapest the Polish Legation was allowed to function until as late as 15 June 1941, and it issued pre-dated passports (as if they had been issued before I September 1939)to those wishing to continue their journey, but there were many who left without any papers. The missing persons had to be reported to the police authorities

9

; by extending the period between two checkings the Hungarian authorities wanted to make disappearance for the Poles easier. A large number of the refugees did not regard Hungary a permanent refuge: they wanted to fight Germany. During the first two years of the war the number of Poles capable of military service who left Hungary is probably around 110 000; they joined the Polish Army of the London Government-in-Exile fighting in Western Europe and later in North Africa. The number of the remaining refugees was also considerable. There were many voluntary associations ready to help them. The most important one, the HungaroPolish Refugees Commission was formed in September 1939;

10 its members assisted the refugees on the frontier, took part in their provisioning, helped in directing them to the camps, and regularly distributed clothing and financial aid obtained through public collections. This was primarily a humanistic organization, without any political profile. The Polish government in London regularly contributed to its bank account. The Hungarian Red Cross organized a special Polish division, which worked out the health service of the camps, helped in uniting families, and carried on other philanthropic work. Prior to the entry of Hungary into the war both the British and the American Red Cross distributed money and clothing among the Polish refugees, while the Vatican gave similar help at every Christmas and Easter. Cultura support was provided by the Hungarian Mickiewicz Society and by the Hungaro-Polish Student Union.'

1 Besides the official and non-official Hungarian organizations a decisive role was played by the Polish Legation, and after its closing down by the Civilian Committee for the Protection of Polish Refugees in Hungary (KomitetObywatelski dla Opieki nad Polskimi Uchodzami na We.grech), established in October 1939 with the permission of the IXth Department,

12 and by the legally operating Polish Institute.

13 8

0. L. K. 150. B. M. IX. ügyoszt. iratai. 4024. tétel. 975/eln. 1939. Vll/b. 8 Nov. 1939. 9 Ibid. 10 Lengyel menekültek Magyarországon a második világháború alatt. (Budapest, 1940). II O. L. B. M. IX. ügyoszt. iratai. 4025. tétel. Segélyügyek. (Aids and grants.) 12 Its head was Henryk Slawik (1986 —1944), a Social Democratic journalist from Katowice. The members of the directorate were Feliks Pysz, Stefan Filipkiewicz (a painter and professor at the Academy), Henryk Urban, Józef Zbigniew Borówko. Edmund Fietowicz, Rudolf Cywicki, Zbigniew Zaleski, Bogdan Stypinski, Zbigniew Kosciuszko. 13 The Polish Institute of Budapest started its activities in 1938. Its Director was Zbigniew Zaleski, the Polish reader of the University of Budapest. During the war the Institute