Kurzbiographien - Opfer d. Verlorenen Transports

Kurzbiographien Output

Name: Kelemen, Béla

Nationality: Hungary

born: March 29, 1890, Hungary

as son of:

Vilmos (=William) Farkas Kohn (born in Zsámbék, Hungary - died 1933 Budapest)
Berta Hőnig (born 1861 in Novi Sad, Serbia - died 1933 Budapest)

Siblings:

Malvina Kelemen (born 1883 - died 1888)
Ernő Moshe Kelemen (born 1888 in Budapest - died 1944, Auschwitz), lawyer, was a judge in the Council Republic from 1919-1920)

died: April 21, 1945 in the Lost Transport between Finsterwalde and Tröbitz
buried: km 101.6, Langennaundorf

Béla Kelemen Quelle:
T. Kelemen, A Sour Sweet Life (2014)
- Family:
- married (1919) to Lujza Murai (Mandel), bank employee, born 22.5.1896 in Budapest, died 1945, Ravensbrück
  Children:
  Magda born 7.4.1919, Budapest
  Támas (Tom) János born 7.9.1929 Budapest died 21.12.2015, Northbridge, Australia

Occupation: Business economist, journalist

Life:

before 1900	Béla attends elementary school, then the gymnasium in Budapest.
28.1.1899	The last names of Béla and Ernő are changed from Kohn to Kelemen to avoid giving antisemites a point of attack.
from 1915	Gymnasium and commercial academy, which he completes in 1918 with a business diploma.
1919	Béla Kelemen marries Lujza Murai (Mandel), and not according to Jewish ceremony. Lujza Kelemen Source: T. Kelemen, A Sour Sweet Life (2014) In the same year, their daughter Magda is born. It is the year of the Hungarian Soviet Republic under Béla Kun, who also came from a Jewish family named Kohn. Since his brother Ernő served as a judge during the 6 months of the Soviet Republic, Béla Kelemen likely welcomed the Soviet Republic. In August 1919, the Soviet government under Horthy is overthrown, leading to massive persecutions against communists and Jews.
1920s	Béla Kelemen initially works as an employee at the Hungarian National Bank after completing his studies, then moves to the German-language daily newspaper Pesti Loyd, where he becomes publishing director.
7.9.1930	Tamás (=Tom) Janos Kelemen is born. The family is doing well, employing a nanny and a housekeeper. Béla has a chauffeur.
1930	Béla Kelemen moves to the economic newspaper Pesti Tőzsde.
1932	Fascist government under Gyula Gömbös. First anti-Jewish laws: A maximum of 40% Jews in companies, a maximum of 5% Jews in higher education institutions. Béla has to give up his job. He moves to the Jewish-run theater newspaper Színházi Élet as sales director. The publisher was the then-prominent Incze Sándor ( here is a link to the October 1932 issue).
from 1934	The family has to move, as they can no longer afford the larger apartment. They live at Maravany Street 29, in the same building as Lujza's parents and her aunt Paula's family.
1936	Renewed anti-Jewish repressions. Béla Kelemen has to step back to a secondary role in the newspaper with less income. In 1938, the very popular newspaper has to close completely, and Béla Kelemen loses his job. For the publisher Incze Sándor, who was also of Jewish descent, it is the loss of his life's work - he emigrates to the USA. In the same year, 1 million Jews are called up for labor service.
1939	Deportations of about 30,000 Jews without Hungarian citizenship.
1940	Drafted into an army transport unit. After his discharge, he works for the Jewish community committee in the finance department.
1943	In March 1943, the Nazi government increases pressure on Hungary, as Hungary tries to exit the war. Even during this time, Jews work in leading positions in the economy, especially in heavy industry.
19.3.1944	Invasion of the German Wehrmacht. Brother Ernő and his family are deported - probably to Auschwitz.
20.10.1944	Béla Kelemen is arrested in his apartment and forced into a labor command.
2.11.1944	On Eichmann's orders, mass deportations begin in Budapest. From November 9 to 17, 70,000 Jews must march in a death march, driven by Hungarian fascists, the so-called Arrow Cross, on foot over the Tauern to Austria. Among them are Béla Kelemen's wife Lujza and his sister-in-law. From then on, their trail goes cold; they were probably interned in Ravensbrück, where they died.
19.11.1944	Béla Kelemen is arrested during one of the frequent raids by the Arrow Cross, along with all male residents aged between 16 and 60 in his building. They must pack clothing for 3 or 4 days and gather in the courtyard. They are allegedly to be interned in a labor camp.
25.12.1944	Béla Kelemen is deported to Buchenwald. He arrives in Bergen-Belsen in early 1945.
10.4.1945	Together with about 2,500 other prisoners in the Lost Transport heading to Theresienstadt.
21.4.1945	Béla Keleman dies on the train on the way from Schipkau to Tröbitz; he is buried at km 101.6 along with 15 other victims.
After '45	Béla's son Tom and his daughter Magda survived. Tom emigrated to Australia, where he died in 2015. Magda emigrated to Israel. Both have numerous descendants. Tom Keleman (he changed his name from Kelemen to Keleman) was significantly involved in the discovery and establishment of the memorial site in Langennaundorf.

Sources:

- Keleman, Tom, A Sour Sweet Life, A memoir, Sydney, Sydney Jewish Museum, 2014, 403 S.
- Keleman, Tom, Oral history interview, 12 stündiges Australian Institute of Holocaust Studies - EHRI Interview (2006)