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Leading officials of the Glass House in 1944

Having completed his professional studies in the glass industry Arthur Weiss (1897-1945) graduated at the Commercial Academy. He served at the horse- artillery during WW1 and was discharged with several decorations. By the 30s he took over the firm’s leadership. His two brothers: Vilmos and Viktor were also working for the family company. His three other brothers settled in Palestine. The firm of wide scale international connections was forced to give up business activities in the summer of 1944 due to the Jewish persecution in Hungary. He was never found after January 1, 1945.

Miklós (Mose), Krausz (1908-1985), official. He studied in a Yeshiva (Jewish religious school of theology) in Miskolc. He obtained his general education with self studies. He became Secretary of the religious Zionist organization (Mizrahi) in 1932. From 1934-1938 he was Secretary, while from 1938-1946 the managing leader of the Palestine Office (PALMUT or PalAmt.) After the Liberation he emigrated to Israel and was Director of the “Swedish Village” and leading official of the Social Ministry.

Mihály Salamon (September 6, 1897-?) His father Mose, Chief Rabbi of Zilah, was deported to Bergen Belsen and passed away in Israel, 1955. His mother, Sarah Engel died in Budapest, 1920. He studied in Budapest at a Jewish teacher’s training school, graduated at a secondary school, and completed his studies in humanities at a university in 1922. He was teaching for one year and a half then became textile merchant. He got married to Margit-Mirjam Knöpfler in 1923. His son is Ottó-Aser.
He was one of the leaders of the religious Zionists, member of the Supervisory Committee of the Palestine Office from the 30s. This position led him in 1944 to the Glass House staff as one of its administrative leaders. After the Liberation (March, 1946-April, 1948) he was President of the Zionist Association in Hungary, Vice-President of the Orthodox Jewish Community in Pest, and one of the Joint’s leaders in Hungary. Later in 1949 he emigrated to Israel, worked at the editorial office of Új Kelet (New East ), while from 1951-1953 he was publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Népünk (Our People). His articles were published in Új Kelet by early 1980.

Sándor Grossmann, Ben Erec (1909-2003), journalist, publisher. He was raised in a merchant family in Miskolc, studied in a Yeshiva, and was still young, when he became a leader in the Zionist movement. His family was deported in 1944, he escaped, but was caught and sent to an internment camp in Kistarcsa. He was released in late September. From early October he was member of the Glass House leadership, from mid-November he controlled the common life in the Wekerle street building. After the Liberation, as one of the Joint’s leading officials he sought to find working opportunities for the Jews without secured living. He left Hungary in 1949. Having spent three months in Vienna he was living in Israel in a kibutz for two years, then published books in Paris and Geneva, edited the paper “Future”.

Sándor Hunwald, Szimcha (1914-1945) was born in Kolozsvár and got to Budapest during the WW1. In 1931 he joined the Zionist movement, which caused him dismissal from the Jewish secondary school. Following the deportation in 1942 of the Jews in Slovakia, he organized the refugees’ reception. The Zionist youth in Hungary offered the refugees their own documents. However, when the foreigners were caught, the police found them. Sándor Hunwald first was interned to a camp in Garany, then was sent to a company of refractory soldiers in the Ukraine. When the front there collapsed in the fall of 1944, he took the opportunity and escaped. However, he was caught at the Hungarian border and sent back to the front. Following a repeated escape he arrived in Budapest in October and took part in the salvage activities in the Glass House. As an official of the Swiss Embassy, under the name of “Hans Kühne”, he distributed the forged protection letters by car to the persecuted.

In early 1945 he was arrested in Vadász street. He was very possibly killed in the cellar of the Ministry of Interior. His heroism was post humus appreciated in 1947 by the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic. The first home of the reorganized Hashomer Hacair youth movement was named after Sándor Hunwald in 1945.

Albert Geyer (1895-1962). Lawyer, his professional area was International law and insurance. Delegated by the Zionists in 1944 he was member of the Jewish Community in Pest, President of the Hungarian Zionist Association 1945-1946, member of the Joint’s Presidium from the Liberation till 1948, Chairman of the Hungarian Chapter of the World Congress of Jews till 1950, then he emigrated.

Fábián Herskovits (1907-1982), teacher and rabbi. He obtained his doctoral degree at the Department of Humanities and at the Rabbinate in Budapest. In the 30s he was teaching at the universities in Rome and Tel-Aviv and worked as a rabbi in Budapest from 1941. He was decorated in 1947 (Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic.) He left Hungary in 1949. He was Head of the Cultural Section in the Municipality of Tel-Aviv. From 1981 he was President of the World Association of Hungarian Jews. 
 

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