Internment Camp in Kistarcsa

Internment concept: Indefinite custodyand enforced labour for cases where no court verdict has been delivered. The period of operation of the internment and labour camps were determined by the given political and economic situation in the following. We outline the significant changes to the Kistarcsa internment camp.

Period before II. World War 1929-1939
The Machine and Railway Installation Factory (Gép- and Vasútfelszerelési Gyár) following a period of prosperity went bankrupt during the great depression. The interior ministry bought it’s housing estate. The Hungarian Royal Statepolice Deported Class pur their internment camp here. Shirkers, tramps, prostitutes and these elements considered politically dangerous were taken from the capital and interned here.

II. World War 1939-1945
Due to changing circumstances the camp was extended by 15000 square metres, with a brick wall, heightened barbed wire and whatchtowers. Political prisoner awaiting court verdict were detained here from July 1944 same of Jews awaiting deportation along with deserting german soldiers, were gathered here.

Communist Dictatorship of the proletariat 1945-1953
The hungarian communistlesders (Rákosi and his companion) brought in soviet system and method from the Soviet Union internment and labour camps. To his end, the reseasrchand termination of internal and external opposition was announced with this end in mind, the Kistarcsa internment camp was further developed with new buildings, watchtowers equipped with machine guns, and guard dogs. The proximity of Budapest, where the dictatorship had established all the tools of suppresion, meant that Kistarcsa’s camp became the biggest in Hungary. Here was established the unprecedented practice of sending (and indefinitely detaining )persons who had already served their prison sentences from 1950, the state security department was independently. Powered ti decide on length and type of punishment between 1945-1953 and July 1953, 55 000 people from all stratum of society were interned here.

The end of inetrnment
Following the death of Stalin and with itt he ending of the cult of personality there were changes to the political leadership and the dictatorship softened . On July 26 1953 Ministerrrat decreed that that internemnts, deportations and expulsionshall cease, and the camps closed with the deadline of October 31. An Brefreier comission was established for this process so that the amnestyof 750,000 persons could be examined.The cases of no foreign were alsoexamined at this time. From 1954 the camp functioned as the training facility of the interior ministry.

Revolution and war of independence retorsion 1956-1960
After November 4 1956, internment recommenced under a different the Presidental Board by legislation 31 of the year 1956 called to public security charge the internment period could be between 6 and 12 months, but it could be extended the buildings were there, they just had to be populated, which is exactly what happened by March 15, 1957 the headcount exceeded 10,000. The previous guards and staff reappeared, who had int he meantimebeen hidden away in police uniforms. Their methods didn’t change and once again they employed carefully chosen torture methods to try to break and humiliate the detained persons. The method of cessation didn’t change either a sin 1960 the Presidental Board with the same legislation as had been used to introduce it stopped the public security charge.

Andor Kiss