István Antal
István Antal | |
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Minister of Religion and Education of Hungary | |
In office 22 March 1944 – 29 August 1944 | |
Preceded by | Jenő Szinyei Merse |
Succeeded by | Iván Rakovszky |
Personal details | |
Born | Kenderes, Austria-Hungary | 18 February 1896
Died | 11 October 1975 Budapest, Hungarian People's Republic | (aged 79)
Political party | Hungarian National Independence Party, Unity Party, Party of National Unity, Party of Hungarian Life |
Profession | politician |
István Antal (18 February 1896 – 11 October 1975) was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Religion and Education and as Minister of Justice in 1944. Born in Kenderes, he knew Miklós Horthy from here, who was born here likewise. He fought in the First World War, after his returning from the front he joined several right extremist student organizations. Antal founded the Red-White Bloc firstly, which worked against Mihály Károlyi's republic then the Hungarian Soviet Republic, then he became one of the leaders of the Turul Student Organization. He met Mihály Kolosváry-Borcsa here at first.
Antal soon finished the University of Law. After that he served as press officer of Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös, later became state secretary of the Ministry of Justice. He was member of the Miklós Kállay cabinet from 1942 as Minister without portfolio of National Defence and Propaganda. After the German occupation the new prime minister Döme Sztójay appointed him Minister of Justice and Minister of Religion and Education. In these times he actively took a part in creating the newer anti-Jewish laws and its introduction. He did not take part in the governance after the Arrow Cross Party's coup. In addition he was arrested for a short time, because of criticizing Ferenc Szálasi's mental efficiency.
After the Second World War he was sentenced to death for war crimes by the People's Tribune in Budapest, but he was not executed after Mátyás Rákosi's personal intervention. For the second time he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Antal was set free in 1960, lived until his death in retirement. His memoirs were published in 2004.
References
[edit]- 1896 births
- 1975 deaths
- People from Kenderes
- People from the Kingdom of Hungary
- Hungarian Roman Catholics
- Unity Party (Hungary) politicians
- Hungarian National Independence Party politicians
- Education ministers of Hungary
- Justice ministers of Hungary
- Members of the House of Representatives of Hungary (1935–1939)
- Members of the House of Representatives of Hungary (1939–1944)
- Hungarian fascists
- Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I
- Hungarian collaborators with Nazi Germany
- Holocaust perpetrators in Hungary
- Hungarian people convicted of war crimes
- Hungarian politicians convicted of crimes
- Hungarian prisoners sentenced to death
- Prisoners sentenced to death by Hungary