Records of the Municipal Committee of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County, 1876-1949

The collection holds all the minutes of the meetings of the Municipal Assembly and the Small Assembly of the Municipal Committee of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County between 1876 and 1944. Holocaust-related records are scattered throughout the collection and include but not limited to the following issues: trade permits, lease agreements and other financial transactions, permits and small offences concerning the right to sell alcohol; regulations concerning prices and leases, procurement involving Jewish businesses, matters of temporary and permanent financial aid for Israelite schools and Jewish communities, regulations concerning registers of births, marriages and deaths, establishment of Jewish associations, permanent and temporary financial support of various Jewish schools and institutions, residential permits and naturalisation of Jews, various cases pertaining to factories, shops, inns, workshops and other enterprises owned by Jews, promulgation of diplomas/degrees of Jewish lawyers, engineers, medical doctors and veterinarians, lists of largest taxpayers, lawsuits and other legal matters, the implementation of the “Jewish laws” and instances of bureaucratic antisemitic measures, including the withdrawal of trade licences and permits, quitting rental agreements of Jews, exclusion of Jews from the municipal committees and social organisations, registration and expropriation of Jewish landholdings; administrative procedures against Jewish communities; activities of the national socialists and other extreme right-wing movements, antisemitic events and atrocities, hate speech and propaganda, political speeches and proposals concerning the „Jewish question”. http://www.pestmlev.hu/data/files/141600404.pdf No restrictions on access Established by Act 42 of 1870 (modified by Act 21 of 1886 and Act 30 of 1921), the Municipal Committee was the main organ of the autonomy of the counties and cities of municipal rights in Hungary during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the Horthy era. The Municipal Committee of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County held its first meeting on September 4, 1876. Initially, half of the members of the Municipal Committee were elected, whereas the other half of the seats were granted for the largest taxpayers of the municipality. Chaired by the prefect, the subprefect and other main officials of the municipal administration were also the members of the Committee. The Municipal Committee wielded municipal rights and privileges, including the election of the subprefect and other city/county officials, creating statutes and regulations, and preparing petitions and political declarations for the government and other municipalities. Assemblies were normally held fourth times a year. From 1929 onwards, 40 percent of the members were elected, 40 percent was made up by the largest taxpayers and the remaining 20 percent comprised of representatives of professional organisations, churches, etc. (Act 30 of 1929). Besides, the Small Assembly was established, which became the main appellate authority/authority of second instance of the decisions of the city/county administration with its monthly meetings.