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My father graduated from commercial high school and worked as chief
storeman in the state-owned local train company (HEV). He magyarized his
name from Fischer to Halasz in 1916. (Editor's note: state employees were
advised to "magyarize" their family names-change them to ones derived from
the Hungarian language. It was impossible to go beyond a certain position
in the hierarchy with a non-Hungarian name.) He married my mother, Katalin
Friedner, in 1917. Their wedding was in the famous Dohany Synagogue in
Budapest. He was not drafted during World War One because the HEV, a public
transportation company, could ask government exemptions for its employees.
In 1925, he was fired because of his Jewish origins and was unemployed for
two years. I remember how difficult these times were because he had been
quite well-paid as an employee of a state company, and we had led a
comfortable life. My father started to trade in clothes and underwear on
the market, and my mother helped him.
storeman in the state-owned local train company (HEV). He magyarized his
name from Fischer to Halasz in 1916. (Editor's note: state employees were
advised to "magyarize" their family names-change them to ones derived from
the Hungarian language. It was impossible to go beyond a certain position
in the hierarchy with a non-Hungarian name.) He married my mother, Katalin
Friedner, in 1917. Their wedding was in the famous Dohany Synagogue in
Budapest. He was not drafted during World War One because the HEV, a public
transportation company, could ask government exemptions for its employees.
In 1925, he was fired because of his Jewish origins and was unemployed for
two years. I remember how difficult these times were because he had been
quite well-paid as an employee of a state company, and we had led a
comfortable life. My father started to trade in clothes and underwear on
the market, and my mother helped him.
Period
Location
Hungary
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