Tabiczky Zoltánné: A Magyar Vagon- és Gépgyár története 1. 1896-1945 (Győr, 1972)

Negyedik fejezet. A háborút megelőző időszak és a második világháború évei. 1930-1945

eventually paralysed the production by the end of 1944 By far the most tragic was the first air raid, more than 300 persons had fallen victims to it. Beginning with June 1944 the aircraft department of the factory was structurally separated from the central Győr factory and as the third member of the team including the Wiener- Neustädter Flugzeugwerke and the Danubian Aircraft Factory was transferred by the Germans first to Budapest, in the rock caves of the Breweries of Kőbánya, later in December 1944 to Augsburg. In order to preserve them, the management of the factory has hidden away, availing itself of the test runs of the Botond crosscountry cars, the machines of the Wagon Factory in the villages and farms of the neighbourhood. After the air raids starting with April 1944 the transfer of the factory workshops to the neighbouring villages began with full speed. The motor car factory's new location was Sashegy near Győr. By the end of 1944 the Germans ordered the transfer of the motor car manufacturing industry of Hungary to German territory. The motor car manufacturing plant of the Wagon Factory was at the beginning of 1945 transferred to Krumau (Bohemian-Moravian Protectorate where it would have had to produce in a team with the motor car factories of Manfred Weiss and MÁVAG transferred there earlier. The Germans wanted to begin with the transportation of the last shipment of machinery in March 1945. However the battles for the liberation prevented it. Workers and employees did their best to delay removal and transportation abroad of the machinery of the factory, they took great personal risks thereby, for the dismantling and transportation was executed under the supervision of the shock troops of the Arrow-Cross party.

Slightest oscillation of the morale of the workers was followed in the important war production plant with watchful eyes. Notwithstanding, the Attila József circle was founded and began its activity. Members of the circle worked in the foundry, the wagon, bridge and aircraft manufacturing plant, agitated among the workers against the war and denied calumnious rumours spread against the Soviet Union. They had contacts with the illegal Communist Party, propagated the proclamations of the party and edited brochures themselves. The leader of the circle was László János Németh, clerk of the foundry. In December 1944 the Arrow Cross Corps for Calling to Account arrested the members of the circle. László János Németh and Lajos Stelczer were executed, the others were sentenced to long-term jail.

Meanwhile the heroes of everyday, the honest workers and employees helped by their work to the triumph of what the considered as right. They guarded the machines from destruction and removal, so that it is their merit that after the liberation the work in the plants could start at once and building of new life could begin with the machinery they had saved.

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