A life-saving document - An official certificate for a Jew stating that he is not of the Jewish religion - Subotica ...

A life-saving document - An official certificate for a Jew stating that he is not of the Jewish religion - Subotica under Nazi occupation, May 1942

A life-saving document certifying that Polak, referred to here as “Sándor Petkai, ” is not of the Jewish religion. Signed by the highest authority - the mayor of Subotica, Széchenyi Pál. Dated May 7, 1942. (The Serbian city of Subotica was annexed to Hungary during the war years).

At the head of the document it is written: Szabadka sz. kir. thj. város polgármestere - Mayor of the Free Royal City of Subotica (Szabadka). Administrative number 15,705 from 1942. Title of the document: TANUSÍTVÁNY - Certificate / official confirmation, and also: “korlátozó záradék nélkül” - without restrictive clause. In the body of the document it is written: The undersigned mayor of the Free Royal City of Subotica, in accordance with Section 64 of Regulation No. 7720/1939 .M.E of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Hungary, issued concerning the implementation of the law of 1939, hereby certifies, on the basis of the documents presented, that Sándor Petkai / Polak, born in Budapest on December 19, 1892, to his parents Yaakov Polak and Julia Neumann, whose religion is Reform, is not considered a Jew within the meaning of Section 3, paragraph b of the law of 1942. Subotica, May 7, 1942.” Signed in the hand of the mayor of Subotica, Széchenyi Pál, and bearing the official seal of the Mayor of Subotica.

In 1939, the law known as the “Second Jewish Law” was enacted. This law marked a transition from a religious definition of Jewish identity to one based on origin and race, in line with a trend that had already taken hold in Nazi Germany. The law stipulated that a person would be considered Jewish if at least two of their grandparents were Jewish, even if the individual had converted or belonged to another religion. Thus, the possibility of avoiding the Jewish classification through conversion alone was eliminated. The law also included a detailed system of classifications and exceptions, and therefore required local authorities to examine family lineage on the basis of official documents. The consequences of the law were far-reaching. It imposed severe quotas on Jewish participation in the liberal professions and in economic life: Jewish participation was limited to a maximum of approximately 6% in fields such as law, medicine, engineering, journalism, and intellectual professions. Employment in many public positions was prohibited. Restrictions were imposed on economic activity, business ownership, and participation in professional institutions. 

In April 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi Germany, and Subotica was annexed to Hungary. In order to implement the law, the authorities were required to determine bureaucratically the ethnic status of every individual. For this purpose, a system of document inspections and genealogical investigations was developed. Individuals were required to present birth certificates, religious records of parents and grandparents, and sometimes also marriage certificates or community records. Following this examination, a local authority—usually the mayor’s office or the district administration - issued an official certificate attesting that the individual was not considered Jewish according to the definition of the law. Such certificates played an important role in everyday life. They were used when applying for employment, registering for studies, conducting business activities, or in any situation where it was necessary to prove to authorities or employers that the individual was not subject to the restrictions of the law. In many cases, they were issued specifically to individuals who bore surnames considered “Jewish, ” or whose background was mixed, and therefore needed to formally prove that they were not included in the category defined by the law. Later, when the Aktionen began, certificates of this type became truly life-saving, as they were presented along escape routes at border controls and during routine inspections carried out by agents of the Nazis in occupied territories.

[1] leaf. Folding marks. Tear along the fold mark - repaired on the verso. Good condition.