Eichmann and the Destruction of Hungarian Jewry

The capture of Adolf Eichmann and the subsequent dispute between Israel and Argentina before the Security Council of the United Nations have aroused new interest in the history of Nazi Germany in general and of its anti-Jewish policies in particular. This interest gained momentum as the preparations for Eichmann’s trial progressed.

The 15 years that have elapsed since the end of World War II have brought to light a plethora of new material and made possible a more objective evaluation of the Nazi design to liquidate the Jews of Europe, euphemistically referred to as “the final solution of the Jewish question.”

This study has a modest aim. Its primary purpose is to present a succinct, though informative, account of the destruction of the Hungarian Jewish community during World War II, with special emphasis on the role of Eichmann and his collaborators. Its scope and coverage are limited, for, indeed, volumes would be required to write the definitive history of Hungarian Jewry during the Nazi era on the basis of the recently discovered documentary and archival material alone. Such a larger project is now under consideration.-Preface