Decrees
Below are summaries of the two Budapest mayoral decrees of June 1944, detailing the forcible relocation of Budapest Jews into designated yellow-star houses.
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I. Mayoral decree on the designation of buildings in which Jews may reside, June 14, 1944, Metropolitan Bulletin no. 30
Per the instructions laid out in Government Decree no. 1610/1944 M. E. and the Interior Minister’s ordinance no. 523.926/1944 XXI, I hereby designate initially the following buildings in districts I-XIV of the capital as those in which Jews (obliged under the existing directives to wear the mark of the yellow star) may reside:
(A)
[List of houses in districts I-XIV]
Henceforth, Jews may not live in buildings in Budapest districts I-XIV other than those listed in (A) above.
(B)
The above directives must be executed as follows:
1. All buildings listed in (A) above must mark all their street entrances with a yellow star which must be kept permanently in tact and clean. The sign shall be a six-pointed canary yellow star measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, on a 51 x 36 centimeter black background. This notice will be displayed at all street entrances to every house on the list.
2. If the yellow-star sign on the house is damaged, a yellow star of the same size and color must be painted on and maintained in tact and clean at all times.
3. By 8 pm on June 21, all Jews must leave all properties not listed in (A) above, and move into houses designated for Jews listed in (A) above.
4. This decree does not apply to non-residential spaces (businesses, surgeries, offices, workshops, warehouses etc.), where Jews may continue their work-related activities in non-designed buildings within the provision of the law.
5. Jews obliged to wear the yellow star may remain in flats within designated houses with more than one street entrance [i.e. address], even if the house is listed in (A) above as having only one street entrance [i.e. address].
6. Jews may move into apartments already inhabited by a Jewish tenant or into empty apartments in the same designated house.
7. Once the [non-Jewish] apartment to be vacated has been fully vacated, Jews as defined by the Association of Jews in Hungary may move in or rent, in accordance with their legitimate housing needs, and without my prior written permission.
8. One Jewish family usually needs one residential room. Where the size of an apartment or dwelling is greater than legitimate dwelling needs of Jews, other Jewish families will be moved into the excess rooms.
9. Jewish tenants moving in with other Jewish families have my prior permission to do so.
10. Jews may take their belongings including appliances with them. If they cannot arrange this within the deadline, they are obliged to leave their belongings behind in one room of the apartment to be vacated.
11. Jews or their representatives are obliged to deliver all keys in a sealed envelope to the house guard on duty, who is also obliged to check that everything in the vacated apartment is working and in order.
12. The vacated apartment must be closed and officially sealed so that it cannot be-entered.
13. Official permission is required to enter or take anything from the vacated apartment.
14. The house supervisor will inspect the official seals on every vacated apartment on a daily basis and, if there is suspicion that the apartment has been entered, must inform the civil defense house guard and report this to the police.
15. I hereby entrust the Association of Jews in Hungary to supervise the relocation of Jews, which will be monitored by the authorities.
16. Jews who change apartment must inform the police and the Association of Jews in Hungary.
17. The owner of a designated Jewish house not listed in (A) above is obliged to display the details of all flats previously inhabited by Jews.
18. Inhabiting an apartment vacated by Jews not listed in (A) above requires my prior written permission.
19. Non-Jewish tenants may exchange apartments with Jewish tenants provided that the apartment does not exceed the Jews’ legitimate housing needs. My office must be informed of such exchanges which must be approved by the Association of Jews in Hungary.
20. Non-Jews may move into apartments vacated by Jews.
21. The vacation by non-Jews of houses listed in (A) above will be addressed in a forthcoming decree.
CC: Interior Minister, Lord Mayor, Finance Minister, Budapest Police, Telegram and Telegraph Agency, Civil Defense, mayoral departments for districts I-XIV, district supervisors, Budapest tax office, gas and electricity company management, waterworks, the editors of Budapesti Közlöny [Budapest Bulletin] and Fővárosi Közlöny [Metropolitan Bulletin], the Association of Jews in Hungary. Apartment building owners and tenants who are affected will be notified via the press and public posters.
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II. Mayoral decree on the final designation of houses in which Jews may reside, June 24, 1944, Budapesti Közlöny [Budapest Bulletin], no. 141.
Decree no. 148.451/1944-IX of the mayor of Budapest
On the final designation of houses in Buda and Pest to be inhabited by Jews
(A)
Additional houses in which Jews may reside
[List of houses]
These buildings must display the yellow star without delay at all street entrances.
(B)
Houses deleted from the list of those in which Jews may reside.
[Houses in districts I, II, III, XI, XII]
The yellow star must be removed without delay from all street entrances to the properties listed in (B) above.
Jews who do not reside in a house designated as a Jewish residence by the Interior Minister or myself are now obliged to move into a designated house named in the final list (B) above no later than midnight on June 24, 1944.
Those non-Jews who do not wish to vacate a designated Jewish house must display, at the entrance to their apartment, the official “No Jews live here” notice with the City Hall stamp.
Caretakers or others responsible for the houses listed in (B) above must, under punishment by criminal law, compile details of all apartments in which non-Jews live, and which will be signed by each non-Jewish tenant to the effect that none are required to wear the yellow star, and which is to be submitted to that district’s tax authority for approval, then displayed publicly in the house.
The house owner or caretaker must constantly ensure that no Jews display the “No Jews live here” sign, which must be reported to the police.