Arrested and tortured at House of Terror in 1948
When Endre came back after 18 months, he went back to his job then “the great love (quoting Andras who was at the scout camp) with the communists returned the basis of “One is our slogan for peace”; was once again arrested.
They took him to Andrássy út 60 on Good Friday 1948 for interrogation. Today it is also known as the House of Terror Museum.
Andras continues “Then they softened my father there (House of Terror Museum – https://terrorhaza.hu/en), took him to the Gyíijtő, then brought him back again, softened him again."
Endre could not enjoy his freedom, because the communists, panting for revenge, soon arrested him at home. He always denied the accusations made in the mock trial, and they were unable to produce any witnesses. One afternoon, he was summoned to an empty cell, where a Catholic priest was waiting for him. He referred to Kovács’s religious fervor and offered to confess. Kovács confessed and admitted that in 1938, a few foreign soldiers had fallen victim to the bombing of a bridge in an enemy state. If this was a sin, he hoped that God would forgive him… The next day, after many hours of beating and torture, they presented him with the full text of his confession from the previous day, the contents of which he admitted. The brutality of his interrogation is characterised by the fact that his interrogators knocked out his teeth and tore out his nails. The main charge against him was the excesses committed in Transcarpathia in 1939, during which several suspected spies were tortured and executed according to the protocol, and in which Endre Kovács was allegedly also a participant.
https://jeltelenul.hu/index.php/draskoczi-laszlo-es-tarsai-bunugye
Endre was accused in the Hungarian INTERROGATION BY PEOPLE’S PROSECUTORT’S OFFICE OF ENDRE KOVACS – MARCH & APRIL 1948 which lead to his execution, that he also blew up a bridge.
The criminal case of László Draskóczi and his associates.
Important details of the firsrt instance court proceedings
Important details of the second instance court proceedings
The manufactured “facts” according to the final decision
The first nine defendants were all members of the Ragged Guard or were somehow connected to this military-type formation. Lajos Fodor served as Vannay’s deputy in László Vannay’s battalion from the end of 1938. As members of the Guard, several defendants participated in the invasion of the Highlands on November 10, 1938.
Endre Kovács was the commander of the invading Tiszaújhely section, Antal Benkő was his deputy, and Pál Gödér was the service chief of this section. They allegedly participated in the torture and unlawful execution of at least three Czechoslovak citizens in Tiszaújhely and Tiszaújlak, accused of espionage, anti-Hungarian activity, or Czech friendship.
Géza Iványi was initially the deputy commander, and later the commander, of the invading Salánk section. As a member of this department, he participated, together with Béla Hajts, in the torture and extrajudicial execution of two Czechoslovak citizens in Salánk. The members of the Guard terrorised the Jewish people living in their area, mistreating several of them and forcing them to financially support the Guard. As members of the Vannay detachment, Béla Hajts and Pál Gödér participated in the attack on the Dégenfeld farm, during which several Czechoslovak border guards lost their lives.
The other defendants participated in the anti-democratic conspiracy initiated by Lajos Fehér and István Cserháti in Budapest in 1947, which had loose connections with the ragged Guards. The stated goal was to gather young people living in the area into an organization and collect weapons and ammunition to put themselves in a position where, in the event of a possible Anglo-American-Soviet war, the members of the organization would use the collected weapons to weaken the state power of the people’s democracy and contribute to its overthrow. The members collected a small arsenal of weapons and ammunition, some of whom participated in breaking the windows of a Jewish person living there on Tölcsvár Street and in damaging about 20 tombstones in the Jewish cemetery in Farkasrét. Although Károly Nagy and Imre Dévai were aware of the continuation of the organization, they did not actually participate in it.
Hungary Highlands “Czech” Bridge Blown Up 1938
Képes Figyelő’s 10 April 1948 issue announced on its front page that the authorities had eliminated the remaining members of the Ragged Guard. It noted that Kovács received a death sentence partly for his role in the 1938 Highland uprising, where he and several soldiers destroyed a bridge held by a Czech detachment. It has been stated that Czech soldiers lives were also lost. A Hungarian version is now downloadable
Location(s) included in the facts according to the final decision
Final decision
László Draskóczi (Feled, 1895), first-degree defendant, was sentenced to 3 years in prison for attempted war crimes.
Lajos Fodor (Kékes, 1897) was sentenced to life imprisonment for continuously committing war crimes and continuously committing crimes against the people.
Béla Hajts (Budapest, 1891), a third-degree defendant, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for repeatedly committing war crimes and repeatedly committing crimes against the people.
Endre Kovács (Szolnok, 1901), a fourth-degree defendant, was sentenced to death for a war crime he had committed repeatedly.
Endre executed, buried without a trace.
Pál Gödér (Kőtelep, 1899), a V-rank defendant, was sentenced to death for a war crime he had committed repeatedly.
Antal Benkő (Kétegyháza, 1907), a sixth-degree defendant, was sentenced to death for a war crime he had committed repeatedly.
István Héder (Lázári, 1919), a seventh-degree defendant, was sentenced to 1 year in prison for a crime against the people.
With regard to the defendant Béla Faragó (Dercen, 1905), the verdict of the People’s Court was annulled in its entirety and the defendant was acquitted of the charges brought against him.
Regarding the IXth-degree defendant Géza Iványi (Jánoshalma, 1911), the verdict of the people’s court was annulled in its entirety and the first-instance court was ordered to hold a new trial, remedy the deficiencies identified and issue a new verdict.
Lajos Fehér (Budapest, 1920) was sentenced to 2 years in prison for the crime of overthrowing the democratic republic.
István Cserháti (Budapest, 1929), a defendant of the 16th degree, was sentenced to a total of at least 4 years of forced labor for the crime of overthrowing the democratic republic and the crime of incitement.
Zoltán Fenyőfalvi (Szolnok, 1922), a defendant of the 17th degree, was sentenced to 2 years in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
Ferenc Gondos (Budapest, 1929), defendant of the XVIIIth degree, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
Pál Cserháti (Sóskút, 1928), a 19th-degree defendant, was sentenced to at least 4 years of forced labor for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic and war crimes.
Lajos Szűcs (Budapest, 1931), the 20th defendant, was sentenced to a total of 3 years in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic and the crime of incitement.
István Csoba (Budapest, 1931), XXI. defendant, was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic and the crime of incitement.
Géza Papp (Budapest, 1929), XXII. defendant, was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic and the crime of incitement.
László Hargitay (Budapest, 1929), defendant of the XXIIIth order, was sentenced to 1 year in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
Ervin Reisz (Budapest, 1929), XXIV. defendant, was sentenced to 1 year in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
Imre Dévai (Budapest, 1930), a XXVth-degree defendant, was sentenced to 2 months in prison for the offense of failing to report.
Károly Nagy (Nagyenyed, 1923) was sentenced to 2 months in prison for the offense of failing to report.
Gyula Hurth (Budapest, 1931), XXVIIth-degree defendant, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
László Gálos (Budapest, 1929), XXVIIIth defendant, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the democratic republic.
The President of the Republic of Hungary, by his supreme decision of March 25, 1949, commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment for Pál Gödér and Antal Benkő.
HU BFL – XXV.1.a.4 – 2633 – 1948
OFFICIAL RECORD : Endre Kovács – lieutenant | Hungary, Pest county, Szolnok , 1894
Ref:HU MNL OL X 10874
1894
| Identification | 863395 |
| Name | Endre Kovács |
| Surname (machine transcription) | Kovács [1.00], Kovacs [0.81], Kováts [0.59], Kovats [0.48], Kovách [0.42], Kovach [0.39], Kövecs [0.37] – Ковач |
| Surname (machine transcription) | Endre – Ендре |
| Father’s surname (machine transcription) | András – Ондраш |
| Nationality | Hungarian – Hungarian |
| Order rank | lieutenant – st. lieutenant |
| Place of birth (machine transcription) | Hungary, Pest county, Szolnok – Szolnok [1.00], Szálnok [0.86], Szölnök [0.71] – Венгрия, г. Солнок, р-н Pesht, ул. Баштя, д. No. 9 |
| Year of birth | 1894 |
| Place of capture (machine transcription) | Budapest – Budapest – г. Будопешт |
| Date of capture | 12/02/1945 |
| Date of departure | 08.09.1946 |
| Prison camp No1 | No. 95 camp – camp № 95n – Russia – Camp Usman No. 95, Voronezh Region, |
| Registration number | о-481833 |
| Reason for leaving | was handed over to the 176th from the camp to the Hungarian government – передан из лагеря № 176 Венгерскому Правительству |
| Prison camp No.2 | No. 176 Nejsin Prisoner of War Camp, Ukraine, Moldavian SSR, Romania / L-176 · Region · Republic · Date · Nature permanent camp, from 16.11.1944 2nd Ukrainian Front FPPL, from 23.05.1946 repatriation camp, · Camp departments · 05.06.1945 — 1 л/о. 21.11.1945 — SZPV № 4, 7. · Comment Romanian, Yugoslav, Bulgarian, German prisoners of war |
Camp Usman No. 95, Voronezh Region, RSFSR Period of existence: organized by order No. 001320 of the NKVD of the USSR dated October 26, 1944, liquidated by order No. 00/63 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR dated August 13, 1946 Location: Usman. border: 26.10.1944 – 5000 people. 04.10.1945 – 3500 people. April 1946 – 1600-3000 people. June 1946 – 3,500 people. camp commanders: lieutenant colonel B. 1. Kryukov (12/02/1944-22/05/1946): Syrovatikh V.A. major (from 06.01.1946). Status: for farming – based on the decree of the KVD of the Soviet Union No. 001320 of October 26, 1944; officer – by order of the NKVD: of the USSR No. 00323 of April 10, 1945* Structure: i 1946 – no 1/0. Nationality of the group: Germans, Hungarians, Romanians. bond number: February 1945 – 140 soldiers. January 1946 – 3223 people, of which 980 Germans, 69 Austrians, 2129 Hungarians, 11 Romanians, 34 people. people of other nationalities; including 3143 officers, 80 people. – sergeants and privates. July 1946 city – 2261 people, of which 227 Germans, 68 Austrians, 1915 Hungarians, 12 Romanians, 30 people, other nationalities, including 2108 officers, 143 people. – sergeants and privates. Labor use: inside the camp, agricultural | main economic organizations: 1945 – military units were used for work in 21 collective farms of the region (including “Mayak”, named after I.V. Stalin, named after A.E. main economic organizations: 1945 – military units were used for work in 21 collective farms of the region (including “Mayak”, named after I.V. Stalin, named after A.E. Badaev, “2nd Five-Year Plan”). Sources: GARF. F.9401s. Op. 1a. D. 176. L. 41. RGVA. F. 1 p. Op. 15a. D. 110; Op. 37a. D. 3. L. 113, 118; Op. 3g. D. 1. L. 199 Vol. Places of detention of prisoners of war of the Wehrmacht in the territory of the former Soviet Union (1941-1956). Travel guide. P. 89. notes: * During the organization of camps for the development of the area, 250 military personnel were allocated from camp No. 82 by order (see page 127). 1*A Manpower utilization is minimal as the officers based on those who worked on a voluntary basis. |
People were often taken from the internment camps to the People’s Courts, some more than once.