Hungary

THE 25th of July, 1991, was a joyful day for the Kingdom work in Hungary. This date marked the arrival of the first missionary trained by the Watch Tower Society and assigned to serve in Hungary. László Sárközy and his wife, Karen, landed at 1:03 p.m. at Ferihegy airport to the south of Budapest. They had flown from Toronto, Canada, where he had served after graduating from the Ministerial Training School. For Brother Sárközy it was a return home after more than 27 years.

Modern-day Hungary is a country of more than 10 million inhabitants in south-central Europe. More than 95 percent of the population are of Magyar (Hungarian) descent, and approximately two thirds of these are listed as Roman Catholics. The roots of Catholicism in this land reach back over a thousand years. Not long after the introduction of Roman Catholicism, István (Stephen) was crowned king by Pope Sylvester II. Subsequently, Hungary took the title Regnum Marianum (Realm of [the Virgin] Mary).

Yet, not everyone in Hungary is Roman Catholic. The first complete Bible published in Hungarian, in  1590, was translated by a Protestant, Gáspár Károli. This much-revised translation, which contains the divine name, is currently the most widely used Hungarian Bible. The presence and influence of non-Catholics was acknowledged by the government in 1868 when a law went into effect that allowed individual freedom of choice with regard to religious education. In 1989 the Hungarian government extended this right to include Jehovah’s Witnesses. Missionaries of Jehovah’s Witnesses could now be sent into the country. However, the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses was by no means new to the Hungarian people.

Bible Truth Spreads in Hungary

Ninety-three years before the arrival of László and Karen Sárközy, Zion’s Watch Tower (issue of May 15, 1898) had published the following announcement about a brother in Canada: “We bid Goodbye to a dear brother who starts for his native land, Hungary, to tell the good tidings to his countrymen. A professor for years in the schools of his native land, he is well educated in Latin and German as well as Hungarian, and we trust that he may be used of the Lord to find and to seal some of the elect.”

His activity evidently yielded results. Five years later, when Charles Taze Russell and his traveling companions visited Zurich, they met, among others, two fellow believers from Hungary. In addition, several letters from Hungarian brothers published in the German edition of Zion’s Watch Tower in 1905 show that some were receiving Bible literature by way of Germany.

In 1908, Andrásné Benedek​—a humble Hungarian woman who had become a Bible Student, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known—​returned to Hajdúböszörmény, in eastern Hungary, to share with others the good news that she had  learned from God’s Word. Four years later, two more Bible Students returned from the United States. They had learned the truth about God and his purposes by attending some of Brother Russell’s public discourses. Brother Russell made it a practice, after such programs, to approach those in the audience whom he had seen attend several times before. He would ask: “Where are you from? What is your nationality? Would you like to return to your relatives and share the truth with them?”

One of these two Bible Students, Károly Szabó, returned to the town of Marosvásárhely (now Tîrgu-Mureş, Romania), which was then in Hungary. The other brother, József Kiss, worked with Brother Szabó distributing literature in that vicinity before returning to his own hometown, Abara (now Oborín, Slovakia). Their activity brought results, for Brother Szabó’s family accepted the truth, and later more people in that area took their stand for the truth and joined in preaching the good news.

Hungarian Field in North America

Andrásné Benedek, Károly Szabó, József Kiss, and the professor from Canada are only a few of the many who learned the truth in North America and returned to Hungary in order to preach the good news. That so many came back to their homeland reflects the fact that the Hungarian field in America was being well worked.

Indeed, The Watch Tower of August 15, 1909, reminded the brothers that there were “thousands reading Magyar in all the principal cities of the Eastern and Central States” of America. Therefore, the brothers were encouraged to order and distribute free of charge the Hungarian edition of tracts called Peoples Pulpit. By the end of the following year, some 38,000 copies had been circulated in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Other Hungarian literature published during  the following years included Studies in the Scriptures, the Scenario of the Photo-Drama of Creation, The Watch Tower, The Golden Age, and the booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Later, the Society used radio programs in Hungarian to spread the good news. Five stations broadcast 27 Hungarian programs in 1930.

Dealing With Obstacles in Hungary

On a speaking tour in Europe in 1911, during which Brother Russell visited at least ten countries, he hoped that when in Budapest he would be able to speak on “Zionism in Prophecy.” However, a Jewish rabbi in New York who fiercely opposed the work being done by Brother Russell influenced his associates in Austria-Hungary to resist plans for such a meeting.

Later, Károly Szabó wrote to Brother Russell, saying: “The work in Hungary is much more difficult than in America, because the friends, with few exceptions, are very poor, and the work must be done on a much smaller scale. . . . There are at present forty-two small classes in various counties . . . The eleventh and twelfth of May we had a little convention, about 100 being present. . . .

“The pastors and priests of various denominations have sought to stop our work in a legal way. We were haled before the court. We have been able so far to defend our course.”

The Truth Reaches the Capital

Before World War I, a street cleaner in Budapest found one of the Bible Students’ tracts under some garbage he was removing. The tract included an address in Marosvásárhely. He showed the tract to his wife, and she read it with great pleasure and interest. Immediately, she wrote to ask for more literature. Literature was sent, and later someone visited her personally.

 As a result, a small study group was soon formed, and this woman, Mrs. Horváth, volunteered her home for the group’s meetings. This location, in Tisza Kálmán Square (now Köztársaság Square), was the first used by the Bible Students in Budapest for their meetings. When Sister Horváth died in 1923, her flat continued to be used as a meeting place by the brothers, and it served temporarily as an office.

Kiss and Szabó Imprisoned

Thanks to Jehovah’s blessing on the zeal of Brothers Kiss and Szabó and others, when World War I broke out, there were study groups in various towns outside the capital​—Hajdúböszörmény, Bagamér, and Balmazújváros in eastern Hungary, and Nagyvisnyó in northern Hungary. Not only was there a group in Marosvásárhely but there was also one in Kolozsvár (Cluj), both of which cities are now in Romania.

The clergy were annoyed by the zealous activity of Brothers Kiss and Szabó and incited the government to take action against them. Both were arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. However, during the 1919 revolution, they were released, and immediately they started to build up communication between the congregations. This became more difficult, though, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, which stripped Hungary of much of its territory and consigned this to surrounding countries.

Postwar Activities Organized From Cluj

After the world war, more who had learned Bible truth in the United States returned to Hungary. Among them were József and Bálint Soós, fleshly brothers, who had been baptized in 1918. After arriving in their homeland in 1919, they promptly started spreading the good news with the help of the Society’s publications. Jehovah’s blessing on their efforts  was evident. A congregation was formed in Tiszaeszlár, and then other congregations sprang up in the neighboring villages.

The year after the arrival of the Soós brothers in Hungary, the Society sent Jacob B. Sima to Romania. A few days after his arrival in Cluj, he met with Károly Szabó and then with József Kiss in order to reorganize the work in both Hungary and Romania. They searched for a suitable place for an office. The preaching of the good news in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Albania came under the supervision of this office.

Since it proved impossible to find adequate facilities in Cluj for the branch office, the Society undertook the construction of an office and printery there in 1924. At the end of that year, The Watch Tower reported: “The Society’s printing plant at Cluj during the year has manufactured 226,075 volumes of books, and 129,952 books have been distributed. In addition, copies of The Watch Tower and Golden Age to the number of more than 175,000 in each of the two languages [Romanian and Hungarian] have been distributed.”

Worldly observers were amazed at what was taking place. Az Út (The Way) magazine said: “Currently [1924] there is no other printery in Romania with such modern equipment. . . . How Lilliputian our . . . distribution activity is in comparison to [that of the Bible Students].”

Loving, Courageous, and Hated

Progress in the spreading of the Kingdom message in Hungary itself, however, did not wait until the printery in Romania was ready to go into operation. In 1922 there were 160 persons who gathered in Hungary to commemorate the Lord’s death. In that same year, under the Society’s direction, arrangements were made to print 200,000 copies of the resolution  A Challenge to World Leaders, and the brothers were officially granted one day to distribute it. Copies reached many public offices and high officials by mail.

György Kiss was one who set a fine example for his Hungarian brothers during that period. He was a big, loving, courageous man. During World War I, he had been condemned to death for his neutral stand, but later his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and after the war he was freed. He used his added years of life well, helping to establish many congregations. He also served as a pilgrim, a traveling speaker for the Bible Students.

For his fearless and successful activities, Brother Kiss was especially hated by the clergy as well as by the State Police. Although he was frequently arrested and maltreated, it was difficult to sentence him because he knew the law well and defended himself skillfully against the charges. Brothers pleaded with him to show more caution, but he continued traveling the country, visiting the congregations and endeavoring to strengthen others spiritually. He was a good example, fitting the apostle Paul’s words “gentle toward all, qualified to teach, . . . instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed.”​—2 Tim. 2:24, 25.

On July 20, 1931, brothers were expecting him at the blossoming congregation in Debrecen, near the Romanian border, but he never arrived. They concluded that his enemies had done away with him and that he had ‘gone home’ to his heavenly reward.​—John 14:2.

More From the United States

Throughout the 1920’s, people who had become Bible Students in the United States continued to return to Hungary with an evangelizing spirit. These included János Varga, who first went to Hajdúszoboszló in the eastern part of  Hungary and later served as a pilgrim, also József Toldy, who went to Nagyvisnyó in northern Hungary and zealously engaged in evangelizing there.

János Dóber, who had learned the truth when he attended a talk given by Brother Russell in 1910, went to western  Hungary and commenced preaching with great zeal in Zalaudvarnok. In a very short period of time, a group was formed, and under his zealous lead, this group preached in all the surrounding towns and villages. However, he often faced hard opposition, and at times he wanted to return to America. But his wife would ask him: “Darling, why did we return home to Hungary? Was it not to preach?” And János would regain his composure.

Opposition From Inside and Outside

As the preaching of the good news reached into more areas and increased in intensity, opposition also intensified. In 1925 the government withdrew its permission to distribute the Society’s literature. In order to continue to provide the brothers with spiritual food, it became necessary to publish the Watch Tower magazine in Cluj under periodically changing titles, such as Christian Pilgrim and Gospel.

The clergy also intensified their action against the brothers. For example, Zoltán Nyisztor, a Catholic priest, edited a booklet, entitled Millennialists or Bible Students, that stated: “Russellism is worse and more detestable than Red Bolshevism, since . . . Russellism disguises a call for anarchy in the clothes of religion; it portrays revolutions, persecution of churches, and the crushing or annihilation of clergy as God’s plan.”

The churches were often the instigators of the brutal treatment meted out to the brothers by the police. Evidence of such brutality could be seen in the scars borne by Károly Szabó when he returned to the United States.

Added to this persecution were internal difficulties stirred up by Satan and his demons. In Cluj, Jacob B. Sima started pursuing selfish goals, losing sight of the preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom and wanting to draw attention to himself. This led to a major division.

 Shortly afterward, the Watch Tower Society’s Magdeburg office (Germany) was given direction of the work in Hungary, and they asked Lajos Szabó to go to Budapest to help organize the preaching work and the translation of The Watch Tower. Thereafter, the Hungarian Watch Tower was printed in Magdeburg with the title A Magazine for Those Who Believe in the Blood of Christ.

Help From German Brothers

In 1931 the Bible Students worldwide realized that in view of what is clearly stated in God’s Word, it would be most appropriate for them to be known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isa. 43:10) The booklets The Kingdom, the Hope of the World and Explanation, published in Hungary, discussed why the name Jehovah’s Witnesses was being adopted and, in harmony with that name, focused attention on Jehovah and his purpose in connection with his Kingdom.

The 1933 Yearbook reported: “When the Kingdom booklet appeared, this was made a special occasion to give the capital of Hungary an extensive witness. At a fixed time 90 German friends went there, and in the course of five days about 125,000 Kingdom booklets and 200,000 tracts were spread.”

The distribution of Kingdom booklets was one of many occasions when German Witnesses assisted their Hungarian brothers. When Hitler came to power in Germany and started persecuting Jehovah’s Witnesses, many brothers and sisters had to leave Germany, and some transferred to Hungary. Among these were Martin Poetzinger, who had already spent a year in Bulgaria and who, years later, became a member of the Governing Body, and Gertrud Mende, who became his wife.

Gerhard Zennig, who was also a German-speaking Witness, worked with Brother Szabó at that time. Although  Brother Zennig was not physically strong, he was brutally manhandled, especially by a police detective called Balázs. Heinrich Dwenger, who was sent directly from the branch office in Germany, is also remembered with love by the brothers in Budapest. With his mildness, goodness, and mature counsel, he was of great help to the Hungarian brothers. The German pioneers dubbed him “pioneer-father” because he lovingly cared for them.

During this period, Fascism started to have a strong influence on Hungary. The German brothers were forced to leave, and the Hungarian brothers suffered increased persecution. Many of them were brutally maltreated by the police and then were given long prison sentences.

Meetings Held Cautiously

In the late 1930’s, our meetings were possible only when they were held secretly and in small groups. Available literature usually consisted of just one Watchtower per congregation, and this was circulated among the brothers.

Ferenc Nagy from Tiszavasvári recalls: “The Watchtower Study of that time did not resemble those of today. After everybody whom they expected had arrived, the doors were shut. Sometimes the consideration of an article lasted up to six hours. I was about five years old, my brother a year younger, but we enjoyed sitting in our small chairs and listening to the long studies. It was really a pleasure. I still remember some of the prophetic dramas. The way our parents raised us had good results.”

Etel Kecskemétiné, now in her eighties and still faithfully serving in Budapest, remembers that in Tiszakarád the brothers would hold meetings in their fields during the noon meal breaks. Since they worked together in cultivating the land of first one Witness and then another, the officials could  not prevent such meetings. During fall and winter, the sisters would sit together to spin yarn, and the brothers would join them. Although the police inquired about their activity, they were unable to stop them. If such opportunities to meet were not available, they would gather somewhere early in the morning or late at night.

Resourceful Proclaimers

When preaching at the doors was banned, the Witnesses found other means to share Bible truths. The use of portable phonographs was relatively new at that time, and there was no law against playing these. In view of that, the brothers would ask the householder for permission to play a recorded message. If this was granted, a recording of one of Brother Rutherford’s talks was played. In order to do this, the brothers made phonograph records in Hungarian containing the talks given by Brother Rutherford, and they utilized both portable phonographs and transcription machines with large horns.

Regarding those powerful recorded Bible messages, János Lakó, who later married the daughter of Sister Kecskemétiné, recalls: “I had the happy experience of hearing one in Sátoraljaújhely. One of its sentences engraved itself upon my mind: ‘Monarchies, democracies, aristocracies, Fascism, Communism and Nazis, and all suchlike efforts to rule shall pass away at Armageddon and will soon be forgotten.’ We were amazed at the forceful presentation of Bible truths. In 1945 the talk, which had so impressed me, now sounded like a prophecy.”

Hardships Continue

Persecution continued with increased fury. After a Catholic priest visited the Budapest office of the Society and obtained all the information he could, a slanderous campaign was launched in the press. This was accompanied by warnings from the pulpit and on the radio. Throughout the country literature  was seized, and the Witnesses were cruelly beaten. In Kisvárda a number of Witnesses were taken to the town hall. One by one they were led into another room and fiendishly beaten and tortured. Reporting on this, the 1938 Year Book of Jehovah’s Witnesses asked: “‘Easter,’ the Sunday of the great procession. What did they celebrate on this resurrection day? The resurrection of the Roman Inquisition?”

When the clergy could not get certain officials to do their bidding, they employed other means. The 1939 Year Book reported: “The friends are often thrashed and abused by reckless fellows who are urged on to do it and often paid for it. We found out that in some places the local clergymen had rewarded each of these fellows with 10 kilograms [22 pounds] of tobacco, for having laid wrong charges against God’s children.”

 Outlawed

In 1938, András Bartha, who had worked at the Society’s office in Magdeburg, Germany, for five years and then had served in what was then Czechoslovakia, found himself in Hungarian territory after parts of Czechoslovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine were annexed by Hungary. Brother Bartha was promptly assigned to look after the Society’s work in Hungary. The activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses had already been banned in Germany under the Nazi State. Their meetings were prohibited in Czechoslovakia. Then, on December 13, 1939, their activity was also outlawed in Hungary.

That same year, two internment camps were erected in Hungary, one 20 miles [30 km] from Budapest and the other in the town of Nagykanizsa, in southwest Hungary, 16 miles [26 km] from the Yugoslav border. These camps were soon filled with people they called unreliable​—criminals, Communists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were accused of being a threat to society.

At the same time, a Budapest central police superintendent organized a detective squad to uncover the “leadership” of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to analyze the function of this illegal organization and its foreign connections. Arrests, physical and psychological abuse, and imprisonment followed.

Did all of this bring the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary to a halt? No, but it did require that every publisher heed Jesus’ counsel to be “cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16) The 1940 Yearbook gives an example of how a pioneer sister used caution. She wore a black kerchief on her head and another around her shoulders. After she had worked a part of a community, she saw one of the householders coming toward her with two police-soldiers. The sister took refuge in a side street, changed her black kerchiefs for some of another color, and moved quietly on in the  direction of the two police-soldiers. These asked her whether she had seen a woman wearing black kerchiefs, to which the sister replied that she had seen one, evidently in a hurry, running in the other direction. The police-soldiers and their spy went running off to catch her while the Witness quietly went home.

A faithful pioneer sister later recalled how the authorities, under pressure from the clergy, had her arrested. For a time she was under police surveillance and was obligated to report to the police twice a month. But as soon as she left the police station, she would mount her bicycle and go into her territory to preach. For her persistence in witnessing, they locked her up​—first for five days, then for ten, fifteen, and thirty days, for forty days twice, then for sixty, for one hundred days twice, and, finally, for eight years. And why? For teaching people the Bible. Like the apostles of Jesus Christ, she obeyed God as ruler rather than men.​—Acts 5:29.

As Brother Bartha had become fully occupied with translation work, in 1940 the Society entrusted János Konrád, a former zone servant (circuit overseer), with the direction of the work in Hungary.

More Internment Camps

In August 1940 part of Transylvania (Romania) was taken over by Hungary. The following year, persecution in this area intensified. In Cluj, Transylvania, another internment camp was erected, and hundreds of brothers and sisters, young and old, were taken to this camp. Later, the Witnesses there were subjected to much brutality because they would not renounce their faith and return to their former religion. When news of this reached the Witnesses outside the camp, faithful ones throughout the country united in prayer in their behalf.  Shortly thereafter, an official investigation at the Cluj camp exposed corruption, so the commanding officer and a majority of the guards were transferred, and some were even imprisoned. This brought some relief to our brothers, and for this they gave thanks to Jehovah.

Meanwhile, in southwestern Hungary, in a camp situated near Nagykanizsa, married couples were interned together, their children being looked after by Witnesses still at home. In all of these camps, pressure was put on Jehovah’s people. They were offered freedom if they would just sign a document renouncing their faith and promising that they would give up all connection with Jehovah’s Witnesses and return to their former State-approved faith.

The situation of Jehovah’s Witnesses became even more perilous on June 27, 1941, when Hungary joined the war against the Soviet Union. This led to many trials in connection with refusal of military service.

 Country Servant Arrested

The detective squad dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses became increasingly active, raiding the homes of many brothers. Brother Konrád received frequent summonses, raids were made on his home, and he was obliged to present himself at the central police department twice a week.

In November 1941 he assembled all zone servants (circuit overseers) and told them that he was sure he would soon be arrested, so he indicated that József Klinyecz, one of the zone servants, should supervise the work in the event of his arrest.

The very next month, on December 15, Brother Konrád was arrested. For several days he was brutalized in an unspeakably barbaric manner in an effort to get him to divulge the names of the zone servants and the pioneers, but his tormentors had no success. Finally he was handed over to the district attorney. After all of that, he was sentenced to just two months in prison. But at the end of his sentence, he was not released. Instead he was transferred to the concentration camp at Kistarcsa on the premise that he was a menace to society.

Two Country Servants

Meanwhile, in 1942 the Central European Office in Switzerland officially assigned Dénes Faluvégi to supervise the work in Hungary. Brother Faluvégi, who was mild-tempered  and yielding by nature, was nevertheless capable of inspiring others by his own zeal for the truth. He had been a schoolteacher in Transylvania and had shared significantly in the organization of the work in Romania after World War I.

However, Brother Klinyecz, the zone servant to whom Brother Konrád had entrusted temporary responsibility for the work in the event of his arrest, was not pleased when the assignment was given to Brother Faluvégi. He considered Brother Faluvégi incapable of facing up to the difficult task.

Brother Klinyecz had always been a zealous and courageous brother, firmer by nature than he was mild-tempered. He was zealous in the field service and well known and loved by the brothers throughout the country. The brothers came to be divided into two camps​—one side recognizing the Society’s appointment of Brother Faluvégi, the other side sharing Brother Klinyecz’s opinion that the responsibility for supervision needed to be in firm hands in such difficult times.

Some congregations were simultaneously visited by two zone servants​—one sent by Brother Faluvégi, the other by Brother Klinyecz. Sad to say, in such situations, instead of encouraging the brothers, at times the two zone servants quarreled between themselves. Understandably, this grieved the faithful brothers.

Racehorse Stable in Alag

In August 1942 the authorities decided to put an end to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary. For this purpose they prepared ten collection points where the Witnesses, men and women, young and old alike, were brought together. Even persons who were not yet baptized but were known to have contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses were taken to these places.

The Witnesses from Budapest and its vicinity were taken  to a racehorse stable in Alag. On both sides of the stable, along the outer walls, straw was spread out on which the brothers and sisters slept at night. If somebody wanted simply to turn around during the night, he had to get formal permission from the guards. During the day they were forced to sit in a row on wooden benches facing the wall while guards paced up and down the stable with fixed bayonets. No talking was permitted.

Next to the stable, there was a smaller room where the detectives, under the direction of István and Antal Juhász, two fleshly brothers, carried out the “interrogations.” They tortured the brothers, using methods some of which are too degraded to mention.

The sisters were not spared either. The stockings of one sister were forced into her mouth to muffle her outcries. Then she was forced to lie face down on the ground with one of the detectives sitting on her and holding up her feet while another beat her unmercifully on the soles of her feet. The strokes and her cries could be heard clearly in the room where the brothers were.

“Court” in Alag

The “interrogations” were brought to a close by the end of November. In that month a courtroom was improvised in the dance hall of a restaurant in Alag where the court of the general staff of Heinrich Werth handled the case of 64 of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Upon entering this courtroom, they saw literature, Bibles, typewriters, gramophones, and records that had been confiscated during the house searches.

The case was opened without any of the 64 accused having been questioned by the military prosecutor or having been able even to speak with the attorney that the court had  commissioned to defend them. The questioning of all the defendants took only a few hours, and the Witnesses were given no real chance to defend themselves. One sister was asked if she was prepared to take up arms. She replied: “I am a woman, and as such I don’t have to take up arms.” At that she was asked: “Would you take up arms if you were a man?” She replied: “I shall answer that question the day I become one!”

Later the sentences were pronounced. Brothers Bartha, Faluvégi, and Konrád were to be hanged. Others were condemned to life imprisonment, and the remainder were sentenced to two to fifteen years in a penitentiary. That same afternoon they were taken to the military prison on Margit Boulevard in Budapest. The three brothers who had been sentenced to death expected to be executed any minute, but precisely one month after their entering prison, their attorney came and informed them that their death sentences had been commuted to life imprisonment.

At the other nine collection places, the questionings were conducted with methods similar to those used at the stable in Alag. The convicted brothers were eventually transferred to the penitentiary at Vác, in the north of the country.

With Nuns as Prison Guards

The sisters were generally interned in Budapest on Conti Street, at the counter-intelligence prison. Those sentenced to terms of three or more years were transferred to the prison for women in Márianosztra (Our Mary), a village near the Slovakian border, where they were guarded by nuns who treated our sisters in a most fearful manner. Witnesses who had previously been in other prisons were also taken there.

Whoever was not prepared to obey the prison rules set by the nuns was put into the dungeon. Among these rules  were obligatory church attendance and the Catholic salute, “Praised be Jesus Christ.” If the prisoners were given anything, the expression of thanks was to be, “May God reward you for this.”

Of course, our faithful sisters did not conform to these rules. Every time they refused to go to church, they were put into the dungeon for 24 hours; it was on these occasions that our sisters would say: “May God reward you for this.” The Witnesses were also deprived of all the usual privileges, such as receiving packages, corresponding with relatives, and receiving visitors. Only a few compromised to avoid further hardship. After a time, however, for the faithful ones, there was a letup in the harsh treatment.

Bor Concentration Camp

In the summer of 1943, the brothers under 49 years of age from all the prisons in the country were assembled in one of the provincial towns and ordered to take up military service. The faithful brothers, although they were again brutalized, remained firm and refused, also declining the military clothing they were offered. Nine of the group, however, took the military oath and accepted the uniforms. But their compromise brought them no relief. All the 160 collected there, including the nine defectors, were transferred to a concentration camp at Bor (Serbia). Two years later, one of those defectors, rifle in hand, was pale and shaking as he found himself on a squad delegated to execute, among others, his own fleshly brother, a faithful Witness.

Both en route to the camp and in it, brothers had some harsh experiences. But the camp commander did not generally insist on having the brothers do work contrary to their consciences. On one occasion when some of the soldiers  used torture to try to force the Witnesses to violate their consciences, the commander even apologized.

Károly Áfra, a brother in his seventies who is still serving Jehovah faithfully, relates: “There were some attempts to break our faith, but we remained steadfast. On one occasion we were to make a gun emplacement out of concrete. Two brothers were selected for the work. They refused and said that they were imprisoned for their not doing anything in connection with war. The officer told them that if they did not work, he would have them executed. One of the brothers was taken away by a soldier to the other side of the mountain, and a shot was heard. The officer turned to the other brother: ‘Now your brother is dead, but you can think it over.’

“The answer of the brother was: ‘If my brother could die for his faith, why could not I?’ The officer ordered the other soldier to bring back the ‘shot’ brother and, patting the other one on the back, said: ‘Such brave men deserve to stay alive,’ and he let them go.”

The brothers knew that the reason they were alive was to serve as Jehovah’s Witnesses. There were thousands of other prisoners in the camp at Bor, and the Witnesses gave many of them a thorough witness about Jehovah and his Kingdom. Throughout the country during those difficult years, Jehovah’s Witnesses​—whether in prison, in concentration camps, or elsewhere—​made good use of opportunities to give a witness. They met kindly disposed people everywhere, even among important officials, who admired the courageous endurance of the Witnesses. Some officers even encouraged them: “May you continue to endure in your faith.”

The Witnesses had already been in Bor under dangerous and trying circumstances for 11 months when the rumor started that partisans intended to attack the village. The decision  was made to evacuate the camp. When the Witnesses learned, two days before the planned departure, that they would have to undertake the journey on foot, they immediately started constructing two- and four-wheeled carts. By the time of departure, they had so many carts that officers, soldiers, and other prisoners came to look with amazement at what Jehovah’s Witnesses had accomplished.

Before being taken to the road (together with 3,000 Jewish prisoners), each brother was given one and a half pounds [0.7 kg] of bread and five tins of fish, which was not nearly enough for the journey. But Jehovah provided what the officers did not. How? By means of the Serbian and Hungarian inhabitants of the territory through which they passed. These gladly gave them the bread they could spare. The brothers gathered this bread together, and during a pause they would divide it in such a just way that each one received a piece, even if it was a mere morsel. Although hundreds of the prisoners were turned over to German soldiers for execution along the way, Jehovah’s hand of protection was over his Witnesses.

Integrity Tested Again

Near the end of 1944, when the Soviet army was drawing close, the Witnesses were called upon to move toward the Hungarian-Austrian border. Finding that all able-bodied men were at the front, the Witnesses helped the women in the area do the heavy work on their land. Where they were lodged, the brothers seized opportunities to witness.

In January 1945 the commander informed the Witnesses that all men able to work should report to the town hall of Jánosháza. From there a German officer took them outside the village to dig trenches. When the first six who were selected refused, the officer immediately ordered: “Have them  executed!” The six brothers were lined up, the Hungarian soldiers stood with their rifles ready to shoot on command, and the remaining 76 brothers were watching. Quietly one of the Hungarian soldiers urged the watching brothers: “Go over and also throw down your tools or they will shoot them.” They immediately followed his advice. The German officer was so perplexed that at first he just stared incredulously. Then he asked: “They don’t want to work either?” Brother Bartha answered in German: “Oh, yes, we do want to work, but we cannot perform tasks contrary to our faith. The sergeant here can confirm that we have done everything with the utmost conscientiousness and efficiency, and we still do, but this job that you have in mind for us we shall not do.”

One of those brothers later recalled: “The officer then declared that we were all under arrest, which was really rather laughable because we were all convicts anyway.”

Other Integrity Keepers

Like those brothers mentioned above, hundreds of other brothers and sisters all over the country fought the same fight for their faith in many other concentration camps and prisons.

In the spring of 1944, when many Jews were transported from the internment camp at Nagykanizsa to camps in Germany, there were two of Jehovah’s Witnesses among them, Éva Bász and Olga Slézinger, Jews by birth, 20 and 45 years of age respectively. They were both zealous, purehearted worshipers of Jehovah God. Sister Bász was a very delicate girl, but she had been serving as a pioneer before her arrest. She was in the field ministry in Dunavecse when the police arrested her and took her along to the town hall.

At the instigation of the mayor of the village, she underwent degrading treatment. Sister Bász recalls: “All my hair  was shaved off; I had to stand naked with ten to twelve policemen present. Then they began an interrogation and wanted to know who our leader in Hungary was. I explained that we had no other leader than Jesus Christ.” Their response was ruthless beating with their batons. But Sister Bász was determined not to betray her Christian brothers.

Next, she recalls: “These beasts tied my hands and feet together over my head, and all of them humiliated me by raping me, all except one of the policemen. They tied me so firmly that I still had marks on my wrists when I came to Sweden three years later. I was so maltreated that they hid me in the basement for two weeks, until the most severe injuries were healed. They did not dare to let other people see my condition.” Sister Bász was sent to the Nagykanizsa camp and from there, together with Sister Slézinger, to Auschwitz.

She continues: “I felt safe when with Olga; she could be humorous in trying situations. Doctor Mengele had the task of separating the new arrivals who were not fit for work from the able-bodied. The former were sent to gas chambers. When it was our turn, he said to Olga: ‘How old are you?’ Boldly and with a humorous twinkle in her eyes she answered: ‘Twenty.’ In reality she was twice that age. But Mengele laughed and let her go to the right side and stay alive.”

Yellow stars identifying them as Jews were sewn on their clothing, but they protested, insisting that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They tore off the yellow stars and demanded that purple triangles be sewn on to identify them as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Though severely beaten for this, they responded: “Do with us whatever you like, but we shall always remain Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Later they were brought to the concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen. It was about this time that a typhus epidemic broke out in the camp. Sister Slézinger became so sick that she  was removed from the camp along with many others and was never seen again. Shortly afterward, this territory was freed by the British army. Sister Bász was taken to a hospital, after which she moved to Sweden, where she quickly contacted the brothers.

Many of the brothers who were imprisoned in Hungary were later deported to Germany. Most of them returned after the war, but not all. Dénes Faluvégi was one who died while being transported from the concentration camp at Buchenwald to the one at Dachau. He had faithfully served Jehovah for more than 30 years.

Faithful Witnesses Until Death

When the Nagykanizsa camp was dissolved in the autumn of 1944, the Witnesses who had not already been deported to Germany were set free. However, since the battlefront made it impossible for them to return home, they decided to take jobs on the surrounding farms until the situation improved. Then, on October 15, 1944, the Nyilaskeresztes Párt (Arrow Cross party), supported by the German Nazi party, took power and immediately started calling up young men for military service.

Soon the brothers were arrested again because of their neutrality. Five of the young brothers who were arrested were taken to Körmend, about six miles [10 km] from the Austrian border, where a military court was in session in the local schoolhouse. The first to be tried was Bertalan Szabó, who was sentenced to be executed by a firing squad. Before the execution, he wrote a heart-moving farewell letter, which you can read in the book Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, page 662. Afterward, two other brothers, János Zsondor and Antal Hönis, were taken before the court. They too remained firm, and they too were executed.

 Sándor Helmeczi was imprisoned at the same place. He recalls: “At a certain hour of the day, we were allowed to use the lavatory in the courtyard. They rearranged the schedule so that we would see what happened. They wanted to say thereby: ‘Now you know what will happen to you too.’ That was a very sad moment for us​—to see our beloved brothers fallen lifeless. Then we were led back to our cells.

“After ten minutes we were called to come out, and we were told to clean away the blood of our brothers. Thus we saw them up close. The face of János Zsondor remained quite normal. His smiling, friendly, and mild face showed no trace of fear.”

At the same time, another brother, 20-year-old Lajos Deli, was publicly hanged in the market square of Sárvár, about 25 miles [40 km] from the Austrian border. In 1954 an ex-officer, an eyewitness, recalled what took place that day:

“There were many of us, civilians as well as military men, who were fleeing westward. Passing through Sárvár we saw the gallows erected in the market square. There was a young boy with a very pleasant, peaceful face standing under the gallows. When I asked one of the onlookers what the boy had done, I was told that he had refused to take up either weapons or spade. There were several recruits of the Arrow Cross party around, carrying machine guns. Everyone heard when one of them said to the young man: ‘This is your last chance, take it or we’ll hang you!’ The youngster did not respond; he was not in the least impressed. Then in a firm voice he said: ‘You can go ahead and hang me, but I would rather obey my God, Jehovah, than mere men.’ He was then hanged.”

According to the 1946 Yearbook, 16 Witnesses were killed between 1940 and 1945 because of their conscientious objection to military service; 26 more died as a consequence of ill  treatment. Like their Lord they conquered the world because of their faith.

A New Start After the War

Most of the brothers who returned home did so in the first half of 1945. They had never ceased bearing witness to the truth, even though since 1942 they had been unable to function in an organized manner. By the end of 1945, however, there were 590 who were turning in reports again. The following year the number rose to a peak of 837, more than at any time in the prewar era.

The extreme economic instability following the war put a great burden on everyone. Prices sometimes doubled within an hour. It was necessary to reckon prices in terms of food, and the standard was an egg. Thus, when the brothers provided funds to the Society’s office for literature, they did so by taking food to the office​—eggs, cooking oil, flour, and so forth. These things, then, had to be stored and sold. Bills for paper and printing were often paid with food. Some relief came on August 20, 1946, when a new currency was introduced. Far more encouraging, however, were the many bales of clothing and the large quantities of foodstuffs sent as a gift by our Christian brothers in other countries.

Soon it became possible to hold large meetings openly right in Hungary. In 1945, for a public talk delivered in Sárospatak, upwards of 500 were present. The brothers were overwhelmed with joy. In October 1946 a national convention was held at Nyíregyháza with 600 in attendance. In 1947 another national convention was held​—this time in Budapest, the capital. The Hungarian state railway even gave a 50-percent discount to those traveling to the convention by special train, a train that had a sign reading: “Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The attendance this time reached 1,200.  That same year, a villa was purchased in Budapest to be used as a branch office of the Watch Tower Society.

József Klinyecz’s Remorse

It is now appropriate to mention again József Klinyecz, who, though zealous for the field ministry, had caused serious division among the brothers in 1942 because of his unyielding attitude. After the war he addressed an eight-page letter to the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn in which he made accusations against Brothers Konrád and Bartha. In his answer Brother Knorr, who was then president of the Watch Tower Society, pointed out to Klinyecz that the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom was again under way in Hungary and that he would do well to share in it instead of using his time writing accusations against the brothers. “Who are you to judge another man’s servant?” Brother Knorr asked, citing Romans 14:4.

After thinking about what he had read, József Klinyecz went to Brother Konrád and said: “I have received Brother Knorr’s letter, and reading it has deeply affected me. I have examined my course of action up until now and reconsidered my whole life. I have asked Jehovah’s forgiveness in prayer, and now I have come to you to ask you also to forgive me if you can!” Brother Konrád lovingly replied: “If Jehovah has forgiven you, who are we not to forgive you?”

At that, Brother Klinyecz started to weep. He acknowledged that his heart had already hardened to such a degree that, before this, if one of the brothers had come to him in the way he was now doing, he would have thrown him out of his home. How different and how refreshing was the welcome he had received! Immediately after this, Brother Klinyecz got started again in the field ministry, and later he took up the pioneer service. How kindly and mercifully Jehovah deals  with those who repentantly return to him and walk in his ways!​—Isa. 55:6, 7.

A Changing Political Climate

In 1948 the Communist Party gradually took power in Hungary. That year the Witnesses were still able to hold their circuit assemblies, but often under difficult circumstances. Consider what occurred in connection with the assembly held in the theater of Sátoraljaújhely.

The brothers planned to broadcast the program not only in the auditorium but also in the square in front of the building. While testing their outside loudspeakers, they advertised the public talk. Promptly the brother responsible for organizing the convention was summoned to the police officers’ lounge. János Lakó explained to them: “We are going to have a circuit assembly and therefore announced the public talk. We already informed you of this at the police station.” The policeman replied: “But at that time you did not mention the loudspeakers. Remove them at once!”

When Brother Lakó related to others of the brothers what he had been told and under what circumstances, they advised: “As it was forbidden to you, do not you do anything. But we could try something. One policeman forbade it, but who knows whether another one would allow it.”

At that they wrote a request in duplicate in connection with the use of the outside loudspeakers and handed it in at the police station. The officer on duty tried to contact his superiors by telephone, but without success. The brothers told him that it was enough to file it and to stamp their copy. So he did.

As expected, policemen appeared during the public talk and ordered the brothers to disconnect the loudspeakers.

 “Why should we if we have permission?”

“Where is it?” asked the policemen.

“The organizer has it.”

“Have him come here.”

He was found, and he showed the permit to the policemen. They stood there for a while and listened to the talk. The hall was packed, and many others heard it over the loudspeakers outside. All went well that day. Nevertheless, more severe problems lay ahead.

Given Another Label

Before the war the newspapers had repeatedly branded Jehovah’s Witnesses as “Communists” or as those “preparing the way for Communism.” However, with the Communist Party in power, such a label no longer served the objective of opposers. Thus, in 1949 articles appeared almost every week accusing them of being “mercenaries of American imperialism” who were financed by the United States.

In 1950, Communists, clergy, and the press formed a united front against Jehovah’s Witnesses. The brothers often heard from interested ones that when they had told their priest they were officially leaving the church, the clergyman said: “What? Jehovah’s Witnesses are agents of imperialism, and you want to join them?” Arrests became frequent​—302 in that year. Public talks were possible only at funerals, but there were 72 of these within the year. In spite of the trouble, the brothers managed to report a peak of 1,910 publishers.

Principal Overseers Arrested Again

Then, on November 13, 1950, detectives came to the Society’s Budapest branch office and conducted a search. They  made such a mess that the office rooms resembled battlefields. The branch servant, János Konrád, and the translator, András Bartha, as well as a circuit servant, János Lakó, were arrested along with four other brothers and were taken to the prison at 60 Andrássy Street.

János Konrád wrote about it: “At the interrogations there, they did not use as much and as painful physical torture as at the police interrogations, but the brainwashing and mental torture in the middle of the night were sometimes worse than the physical torture had been.

“Our trial took place on February 2, 1951. The charge: ‘Coleadership of an organization aiming at the subversion of State and society, and treason.’ The president of the court, Judge Jónás (who during the counterrevolution five years later was in such terror that he took his own life), sentenced the seven of us to from five to ten years in prison. This sentence had evidently been prearranged, for there was no deliberation whatsoever, and previously, during one of the interrogations, a brother had been told by the one who interrogated him: ‘We shall lock you up for ten years, and when those ten years are up, our People’s Republic will be stronger than it is now, and the people will be ideologically trained and immune to your trying to influence them with the Bible. Then we shall be able to release you.’”

Brother Konrád continued: “We were sent to the prison at Vác, north of Budapest. But it was a joy for all of us to be put together into the same cell. At last we were able to exchange thoughts and experiences! We passed the day following a schedule, starting with the day’s text, which we took turns in preparing. We did not even possess a Bible; nevertheless, we started ‘reading’ the Bible from the beginning by citing the passages we could remember. We ‘read’ Watchtower  articles in the same way. And we prayed daily that Jehovah would help our brothers on the outside to remain steadfast.

“We did not remain together for very long, however, for we were separated and put with worldly prisoners​—the authorities concluding that if we remained together we would strengthen one another in our convictions and would never ‘improve.’ Later on we were reunited, this time because they feared that we might convince our worldly cellmates of God’s truth. This game repeated itself throughout our imprisonment.”

A New Committee Starts to Work

In spring of 1953, almost every mature brother entrusted with responsibility was arrested. The arrests were made suddenly, unexpectedly, in connection with raids on the homes of the brothers. A complete reorganization of the work in Hungary was necessary. Three circuit overseers were now to serve on the new committee: Zoltán Hubicsák, József Csobán, and György Podlovics.

In November 1953 the three members of this committee were arrested and taken to the state security prison of Békéscsaba. Strangely enough, they were set free after ten days. Only later was it learned that József Csobán had buckled under pressure and agreed to work for the authorities. However, the committee was reorganized: Mihály Paulinyi replaced József Csobán, who became district servant.

One of the main responsibilities of the committee was to translate the study articles of The Watchtower and to make sure that a copy of each reached every circuit. Circuit overseers then duplicated it and distributed one copy to each congregation.

In addition to that, the spiritual food also had to reach the brothers interned in labor camps. Perhaps the best known of  the labor camps was Tólápa, a coal mine in the north of the country. At its peak, 265 brothers were put to work there by the authorities. In the mines the brothers were working with the regular miners, many of whom were well disposed toward Jehovah’s Witnesses. They smuggled literature in and reports out for them.

Two main goals were being pursued by our enemies in those years​—force the Witnesses to accept military service and force them to enter the Union of Free Churches. They failed to reach either of these goals, so they tried another scheme.

Smooth Words in Prison

In 1955, János Lakó again was moved to the same cell as János Konrád. A certain Mr. Szabó approached Brother Lakó and made some suggestions. “We could not discuss things with Konrád,” said Mr. Szabó, “he is so stubborn. You are more intelligent. We are ready to set you free and authorize your activity. Konrád will remain here, but the congregation can meet together. You may be Jehovah’s Witnesses, you can pray as much as you want, but do not agitate others.”

“That would mean we would be the kind of witnesses who don’t bear witness,” replied Brother Lakó. “I can’t promise that.”

“Well, think it over. I shall visit you again.” When he came again, among other questions he asked was: “How is Konrád doing?”

“He is fairly well.”

“When did you last see him?”

“Just now, we are in the same cell.”

“And did you tell him what we were talking about?”

 “Of course, he is my brother!” Angrily the government agent went away and never visited Brother Lakó again.

In the same year, the Communists offered permission to publish The Watchtower in Hungary if two pages of Communist propaganda were included. Of course, the brothers could not agree to that.

Another Attempt to Deceive

In the summer of 1955, about a hundred brothers were released from the camp in Tólápa. After they had enjoyed their restored family life for just six weeks, they were ordered to go to the village of Szentendre, near Budapest.

Upon arriving in Szentendre, the brothers were ushered into a large hall. An officer told them that they would not have to take up arms because the government had a special provision that they would appreciate. Rather than carrying weapons or transporting ammunition, all they would need to do was help build roads, bridges, railway lines, and similar things. A few months later they would be able to return home to their families. The provision sounded good at first to many of the less experienced brothers, but some mature brothers sensed a trap and immediately asked: “Would we be  expected also to help construct military projects?” No direct answer was forthcoming.

Then the brothers asked if they would have to wear uniforms. The officer answered that caps would be supplied, and if they liked they could also have uniforms so that they would not have to wear out their own clothes. This seemed reasonable to some. Now came the order: “Those of you who are prepared to work for two or three months and then return to your families can go to the depot and exchange your civilian clothing for uniforms and boots. Those who are not prepared to do this can reckon with prison sentences of five to ten years.”

This was a hard test for the brothers. Several of these brothers had already spent four years in prison or a detention camp. Now, after tasting six weeks of freedom, they were to be sent into some obscure mine or quarry, and everything they had been through would start all over again. Some reasoned that it would be only a few months and then they could return to their families and serve Jehovah freely. About 40 of the 100 slowly moved over to accept the uniforms.

The other brothers prayerfully concluded that what was being offered was nothing but military field service and that they would become a labor brigade in the army. Desiring to maintain their Christian neutrality, they rejected the proposal.

Now one part of the hall was occupied by those who had accepted the uniforms while the other part was occupied by those who had not. Then a corporal entered the room and shouted at a Witness near him: “Can’t you salute?” The brother replied that he was a civilian and not a soldier. It was only then that the corporal noticed that the brothers were divided into two groups, one in uniform and the other in civilian clothing. He turned to those in uniform and, taking a  commanding posture, he told them: “Men! Attention! You who have accepted military field service, from today on you must salute when somebody of higher rank enters the room and must stand at attention to report. From today on you are soldiers and obliged to obey all orders.”

A dismayed silence spread over the room, followed by great indignation voiced by those in uniform: “We’re not soldiers! We didn’t agree to any military service! We only agreed to work!” Hearing the tumult, the officer who had first addressed the brothers reentered the room and saw that the corporal had spoiled things. He immediately attempted to reason with the brothers. But the majority of the brothers had already taken off their uniforms and asked to be given back their civilian clothes. The soldier in charge of the depot did not want to give them back. Only the next morning, thanks to the brothers’ firm efforts, did they receive their clothing back.

Shortly, several high-ranking officers entered. The brothers were made to stand in rows. One of the officers demanded: “Those of you who are willing to take up field service, step out!” Nobody moved. He now demanded: “Those who are not prepared to take up field service, step out!” As if the correct button had been pushed this time, everybody stepped out.

Food for the Prisoners

During the 1956 revolution, our brothers were set free, but only for a short time. Two weeks later, the Communists regained power. During the following months, the authorities tried to rearrest all of those who had been in prison when the revolution began​—Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as others.

Yet, spiritually, our brothers continued to be fed. When  Sándor Völgyes was imprisoned, he asked his wife to bake cakes and to put Watchtower articles into them. A complete Watchtower study article was copied by a sister onto both sides of two thin sheets of paper. However, when Brother Völgyes received his cake, he could not “eat” it immediately because he shared his cell with worldly people. He cut it open the next day in the lavatory at his workplace. Then copies with larger letters were made by writing on folded toilet paper. This was usually done on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays, when there was relative peace and quiet throughout the prison.

Liberty to Those Taken Captive

In March 1960, Brother Bartha, having served a nine-year sentence, was freed. He continued to serve Jehovah faithfully until his death in 1979. Many brothers today still remember him as an untiring translator and a sincere friend with a good sense of humor.

Gradually all the brothers were freed. Yet, the authorities made frequent contact with them. It became apparent that they were trying to penetrate the defenses of Jehovah’s Witnesses with smooth talk and persuasion instead of with night sticks.

“Witnessing” via Radio

In the late 1960’s, the public press often attacked Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sometimes propaganda against them was also broadcast over the radio. However, on one of these occasions, a one-hour drama that was meant to include a warning against Jehovah’s Witnesses really gave a witness. The following report tells about it:

“The story was based on an actual experience in a young woman’s life. A young lady who was a teacher in the  provinces was not taken care of properly by the Communist party. For example, she was not provided with a suitable room in which to live. In her class there were children of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The brothers offered her a room, and the kind and loving atmosphere of their home impressed the girl. All the prejudice she had harbored against Jehovah’s Witnesses was broken down, and she became a sister in the truth.

“The purpose of this radio play was to show that the Communist party should take good care of its people in order to avoid such conversions. As already stated, this actually happened in Hungary. The former schoolteacher is now the happy wife of a brother. Although it was not intended so, this radio play resulted in a witness for our cause. The brothers appreciated it especially when during the play the scripture at Psalm 83:18 was read: ‘That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.’”

Forest Meetings

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, because of the ban on assembling together, Jehovah’s Witnesses held their meetings in the woods. (Heb. 10:24, 25) These forest meetings were held all over the country from spring till fall. Most Budapest congregations met in the hills surrounding the capital.

Brother Völgyes remembers: “There was a circular opening in the forest among the hills, about 100 feet [30 meters] across, where the brothers assembled. It was in beautiful surroundings, and its quietness was made happy by the singing of birds. The sky was clear, and the air was filled with the aroma of herbs. It was an ideal place where the praise of our Grand Creator was manifest everywhere.

“The Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting were regularly conducted there. When it rained, our  plastic rain gear protected us. Not only congregation meetings but also assemblies were held there.

“Out of caution brothers were assigned as watchmen to warn of the approach of anyone suspicious. One day, however, at the end of summer in 1984, in spite of the precautions, plainclothes policemen appeared without warning.

“The loudspeakers were nailed to the tree trunks. The policemen disapproved of that, claiming that we damaged the trees as we hammered the nails into them. They also had some other environmental objections, for which one brother took the responsibility, so that the others would not be involved.

“After we had told them that this was a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses, one of the plainclothes policemen inquired why we did not ask permission from the authorities to hold our meetings. ‘Because we would definitely not get permission,’ was our reply. ‘Just try it,’ the policemen suggested.” We did.

The Ban Is Lifted

Brothers Völgyes and Oravetz, members of the country committee, met with the higher-ranking officials of the  Department of the Interior. They told them about the visit of the policemen and their suggestion to ask for permission to hold meetings. This took place on October 23, 1984. From that time on, congregations all over the country asked for permission to conduct their meetings. Sometimes it was granted.

Negotiations were later conducted with the State Office for Church Affairs. In 1987 it became possible for Milton G. Henschel and Theodore Jaracz, members of the Governing Body, along with Willi Pohl, from the Germany branch, to represent Jehovah’s Witnesses officially in these matters. Finally, on June 27, 1989, the ban was lifted. For the State Office for Church Affairs, the recognition of Jehovah’s Witnesses was the last action of that kind that it took. It was closed down four days later, on July 1, 1989.

 Public Conventions

After the large-scale arrests of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the early 1950’s, it was very difficult for any of them to attend large conventions. From time to time, some of the brothers managed to get to large gatherings held abroad as was the case in 1963 with the “Everlasting Good News” Assembly series. From 1978 to 1988, a limited number of Hungarian delegates were also able to listen to district convention programs in their own language in Austria. The others assembled in the woods of their home country​—first unofficially, then, from 1986 on, with the knowledge of the authorities.

But in 1989 after Jehovah’s Witnesses were granted legal recognition, public conventions were quickly organized. The month after the ban was lifted, 9,073 attended the “Godly Devotion” District Convention in the Budapest Sports Hall. The following year, conventions were held not only in Budapest but also in Debrecen, Miskolc, and Pécs.

In 1991 our first international convention was held in the  largest stadium in Hungary, the Népstadion, where 40,601 met to enjoy the warmth of brotherly love. John E. Barr, Milton G. Henschel, Theodore Jaracz, and Karl F. Klein represented the Governing Body and encouraged the Hungarian brothers as well as the visitors from 35 countries by delivering upbuilding talks.

Organizational Progress

With the regained freedom, the way was open for organizational adjustments to bring the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary into line with what their Christian brothers were doing in other lands. For example, some circuit overseers had a secular job during the week because this was a general requirement under Communism. Thus, they could serve congregations only on weekends. However, in January 1993, after sufficient qualified brothers who were free from family obligations had been trained, the service to the congregations was enlarged to include Tuesday through Sunday.

During the 1980’s the Pioneer Service School had been held to only a limited extent. In 1994, all pioneers who met the requirements were invited. During a period of nine months, 401 brothers and sisters were given this special schooling.

The fine response to the educational activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses has made it necessary to organize Kingdom Hall building activity using methods for quick construction. The congregations have been meeting in schools, cultural centers, empty barracks, and even in the vacated offices of the former Communist party. However, in 1993, Regional Building Committees were set up, training was provided by brothers from Austria, and financial help came  from Witnesses in many lands. In May 1994 the first quickly built Kingdom Hall went up in Érd, a town near Budapest. By the end of the 1995 service year, 23 Kingdom Halls had been built and 70 more were being planned.

To support Jehovah’s Witnesses in their determination to avoid violating the divine law forbidding misuse of blood, Hospital Liaison Committees have also been established. In Hungary, as in other parts of the world, there are doctors who are unaware of alternative medical treatments that do not require use of blood. Hospital Liaison Committees​—now functioning in Budapest, in Debrecen and Miskolc, and in Szeged, Pécs, and Tatabánya—​are helping to bring them up-to-date. About 120 professors, chief doctors, and surgeons already cooperate with the committees. In a recent example, involving two-year-old Dalma Völgyes, the Hospital Liaison Committee in Budapest contacted Hospital Information Services in Brooklyn and within three hours had in hand needed information on nonblood medical treatment that was successfully used in handling the case.

Graduates of Gilead and of the Ministerial Training School

László Sárközy was the first missionary trained by the Watch Tower Society to be officially sent to Hungary. About five weeks later, on August 31, 1991, four graduates of the first Ministerial Training School class held in Germany arrived: Axel Günther, Uwe Jungbauer, Wolfgang Mahrt, and Manfred Schulz. Early in October, Martin and Bonnie Skokan, Gilead graduates from the United States, joined them.

Fourteen brothers and sisters who attended either the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead or the Ministerial Training  School now serve in Hungary. They have been assigned to serve at Bethel, in the special pioneer work, or in the traveling work. Meanwhile, István Mihálffy, the first brother from Hungary to receive such training, was sent to Ukraine to serve the Hungarian-speaking brothers as a circuit overseer.

At the beginning some had only limited knowledge of Hungarian, but they used what they had. Stefan Aumüller, from Austria, relates: “Because my knowledge of the Hungarian language was limited, my presentation was very simple. Usually, I opened the Live Forever book and asked the householder whether he wanted to study the Bible. As a result, I started many studies. When other publishers saw how effective this simple, direct method was, they also started to offer home Bible studies right away, with similar success. This has contributed to the congregation’s growth from 25 publishers in August 1992 to 84 reporting in June 1995.”

Lovers of Freedom Move Ahead

Hungary is called the land of the Magyars. Magyar, the name the Hungarians call themselves, is said to come from a word meaning “to speak.” Appropriately the Hungarian language is used by the 16,907 publishers here in speaking about the good news of God’s Kingdom. It is as King David said of Jehovah’s loyal servants: “About the glory of your kingship they will talk, and about your mightiness they will speak.”​—Ps. 145:11.

Jehovah’s Witnesses in 219 congregations and 12 circuits are doing this with zeal. In 1995 they devoted 2,268,132 hours to speaking to their neighbors about ‘the glory of Jehovah’s kingship.’ Each month about 14,000 Bible studies  were conducted, and the Memorial in 1995 was attended by 37,536 persons. The number of publishers has been increasing steadily each year. From June 1989, when the Kingdom work in Hungary could be carried on openly again, until August 1995, the number of publishers increased from 9,626 to 16,907. At the same time, the number of regular pioneers increased from 48 to 644.

As was done in the days of Solomon when the temple in Jerusalem was dedicated to Jehovah, so too on July 31, 1993, the brothers in Hungary ‘rejoiced and felt merry of heart’ in connection with the dedication of the newly built additional residence and offices for the Budapest Bethel. (1 Ki. 8:66) The construction of our first Assembly Hall, to be located in Budapest, will be the next big project. At present the circuits in the Budapest area have their circuit assemblies and special assembly days in the EFEDOSZ congress center where the Communist party used to hold their conventions.

For many years the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary had been under the supervision of other branches, such as Romania, Germany, Switzerland, and, most recently, Austria. Starting in September 1994, however, Hungary became a branch under the direct supervision of the world headquarters in Brooklyn.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have suffered persecution and religious intolerance since the very start of their activity in Hungary nearly a hundred years ago. However, instead of grinding to a halt, the preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom moves ahead with even more vigor. With Jehovah’s help his Witnesses in Hungary are determined to say as did the psalmist David: “The praise of Jehovah my mouth will speak; and let all flesh bless his holy name to time indefinite, even forever.”​—Ps. 145:21.

 [Full-page picture on page 66]

[Pictures on page 74]

János Dóber (above) and József Toldy (right) took Bible truth back to Hungary and did zealous evangelizing

[Picture on page 79]

Zealous pioneers in Budapest in 1934/35: (from left to right) Adi and Charlotte Vohs, Julius Riffel, Gertrud Mende, Oskar Hoffmann, Martin Poetzinger

[Picture on page 82]

Witnesses in concentration camp at Nagykanizsa

[Picture on page 83]

János Konrád, imprisoned 12 years as a Christian neutral

 [Pictures on page 90]

Loyal to Jehovah till death: (top) Bertalan Szabó, by firing squad; (right) Lajos Deli, by hanging

[Picture on page 102]

Like many other Witnesses, János Lakó refused to compromise with his persecutors

[Picture on page 107]

Ilona Völgyes sent spiritual food hidden in cakes to her imprisoned husband

[Pictures on page 108, 109]

 From a “forest convention” in 1986 to an international convention in the Népstadion in the capital in 1991

[Picture on page 110]

First quickly built Kingdom Hall in Hungary, in Érd

 [Pictures on page 115]

Branch facilities and Bethel family in Budapest