The Jewish Community of Lajosmizse

Lajosmizse

A small town in the Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun district, central Hungary.

Jews first became domiciled in the town in the second half of the 19th century. Most of them were engaged in petty trading and in trades.

The community was organized in 1898 and affiliated with the orthodox stream. A synagogue was built in 1925.

During the period of the White Terror, pogroms against Jews (1919-21) organized by right wing military elements after the fall of the communist regime, the Ivan Hejjas, one of the notorious leaders of the White Terror, gang took control of the town. One Jew was abducted and murdered.

In 1930 the community numbered 60.

The Holocaust Period

After the outbreak of World War II men in the 14-48 age group were mobilized for forced labor whom the authorities would not allow to join the armed forces. In the summer of 1941, Jewish forced laborers were sent from Lajosmizse to the Ukrainian front, where the Hungarians fought alongside the Germans, some of whom fell in Russian captivity. Other workers were brought to the place to do construction work and dig trenches.

At the end of April 1944, after the German occupation, the Jews were confined to a ghetto which had been set up in a number of Jewish buildings. At the end of June, together with Jews from the neighboring towns, they were sent to the ghetto in Monor which had been set up in a factory. After a short while they were transported to Auschwitz.

After the war very few returned to the town and communal life was not renewed. The community officially ceased to exist in 1947. In 1964 there were two Jews living in the town.