Antisemitic accusations and resettlement tensions in Mezőberény

During the post-war resettlement of ethnic Germans, the local National Committee in Mezőberény also registered Jews with German-sounding surnames—lists compiled by the same teachers involved in the 1944 ghettoisation. Although Jewish names were ultimately removed, antisemitic hostility intensified. Multiple blood-libel rumours spread through the village, including claims that Jews used Christian children’s blood to reconsecrate their synagogue or cooked children’s body parts in soup-kitchen food. These accusations fuelled fear and resentment, reflecting the volatile atmosphere of post-war Hungary.