Katalin Vadkerty: Germans and Hungarians in Pozsony between 1945-1948

According to the annual official census from 1720, Pozsony is a German-dominated territory, and consequently the Germán prevalence stabilised in thethree-language, three-culture town. Until 1918 there was almost no change inthe population rate of Germán, Hungárián, and Slovak nationality.

The political, then economic, and cultural presence of Slovaks and Czechs(after 1918, the Czechoslovaks) after the creation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 strengthened, and the number of Slav nationalities started to grow.

From the summer of 1944 part of the Germán population left Pozsony. Themajority of Hungarians did not leave. They thought there was no reason leaving their home. During the Slovak sate, they did not jóin the fascistic stream,did not do harm to humankind. This is why they were surprised by the governmental programme declared in Kassa (Kosice) on 5th April 1945, accordingto which the renewed Czechoslovak Republic were to be a Slav nation-state.The government is not to count with the Germans and with the Hungarians aswith its citizens in the future and plans to deport them entirely. The Germansand the Hungarians deprived of their citizenship rights were forbidden to usetheir mother language, cultivate their national culture, and the state created aright for owning their movable and immovable property. Consequently, fear andinsecurity became part of their lives.

The winning powers of the Second World War agreed with calling the Germans for collective responsibility, deporting; the latter was in case of Hungarians denied. The legal basis of the Hungárián population’s deportation is included in the governmental programme. On the basis of this and on the basis ofthe decision of the Slovak National Council in April 1945 the deportation ofGermans and Hungarians (alsó in Pozsony), and consequently their piacementin the so-called collecting camps began.

That chapter of Pozsony’s history that changed the national composition ofthe population began on 5th May 1945. The Pozsony Town National Committee – referring to the Kosice governmental programme – according to the Slovak National Council’s acceptance ordered the internation of Germans andHungarians. The Pozsony Town National Committee in co-operation with theTown Police Headquarters created three camps: Ligetfalun, in the cartridgefactory and on the Szőllősi road (Vajnorská cesta). The specified families werewithout previous notice forced to leave their flats. They were allowed to packin two hours.

In the first weeks of May 1945 the local national committees provided foodfor the camps. Food-supply in Pozsony was very bad, because there was agenerál food deficit in the own, and the food provided officially was first of alldistributed between the local Slovak population. The unhealthy environmentand lacking health care considerably increased the working capacity of interned persons and influenced their living conditions.

After the signing of the Contract on Czechoslovak-Hungarian PopulationExchange on 27th February 1946, the hope for moving to Hungary was growing between those who were interned. It was the only occasion for reclaimingtheir movable and immovable properties. Months lasted, but nothing happened. One of the opportunities of escape was re-Slovakisation. This opportunity declared in June 1946 was required by 7528 inhabitants of internatingcamps in Pozsony. The number of re-Slovakised persons exceeded 6600, themajority of Hungarians in Pozsony chose re-Slovakisation.

With the repel of the native Germans and Hungarians in Bratislava after1945 the more than hundred year history of the town ended, that was characterised by the presence of three nations, the Germán, the Hungárián, and theSlovak, consequently the presence of three languages and three cultures. Theresultof the impactof the three nations is the, in Germán pressburger, in Hungárián pozsonyi, and in Slovak presporki Citizen who speaks three languagesand considers the two national cultures to belong to him to a certain extent.They were later changed in 1945 by the new Citizen who speaks only one language, knows only one culture, his way of thinking and acts are based on theSlav nation and named the town Bratislava.