Czech Refugees in the Papers of the National Archives of Hungary
Czech Refugees in the Papers of the National Archives of Hungary

Summary/Abstract: In the Czech Republic, the history of the Czech refugees who used the “Balkan Way“ – that went through Hungary as well between 1939 and 1945 – is well known. However, due to the lack of knowledge of the Hungarian language, the Czech historians did not research the sources that can be found in the Hungarian archives. Although the Hungarian scholars could use those documents, they denied them, because – de iure – the Czech exiles weren’t refugees according to the Hungarian government during World War II.This essay tries to demonstrate that the National Archives of Hungary have important and nearly unknown documents about the Czech refugees. These people came through Hungary from the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia in order to join their Army in Exile in France or in the Middle East. The sources in the archives are documents of the Hungarian ministries, which can be essential for the Czech or Hungarian historians. By using them, we can examine the official treatment of the refugees in a broader perspective: for example, we can now answer questions like how the Hungarian government differentiated between the Poles and Czechs; or how could the Czechs reach Budapest after their illegal entry to Hungary.

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