Miniszterelnökség, Társadalompolitikai Osztály (1938-1941)

1938 was a significant moment of change in the history of inter-war Hungary as it brought the beginnings of war preparation, the first stage of successful border revision, the first generally applied anti-Semitic law but also an interrelated new phase in social policy. The collection of the Department of Social Policy at the Prime Minister’s Office from the years 1938 to 1941 contains a fragment of the papers created during the functioning of the Department of Social Policy and Propaganda as well as the Social Policy and National Policy (Nemzetpolitikai) Service. The collection also contains the semi-official correspondence of Béla Kovrig (1900-1962), who was the head of this department, and Miklós Asztalos (1899-1986), who served as its rapporteur. Both correspondences are from the years 1939-1940, the latter concern Asztalos’ lectures on national education (nemzetnevelés). While a host of documents in this collection concern Christian socialist and corporatist conceptions and policies and are therefore of relevance for the history of Christian-Jewish relations as well as of anti-Semitism sensu stricto, dossier H titled “Notes on the Propaganda Preparation of the Jewish Laws” is of particular interest to researchers of the Hungarian anti-Semitic radicalization and pre-history of the mass deportations.

The papers are arranged thematically. The items were assigend to themes partly at the Prime Minister's Office and partly at the Hungarian National Archive.