Antisemitic Atrocities and Sports Riots in Budapest

In September 1960, several anti-Semitic incidents occurred in the stands of Budapest stadiums. On 17 September, a brawl broke out during the MTK–FTC match, where, in addition to setting fires in the stands, the players were also insulted. On 21 September, following the MTK–Honvéd match, and on 25 September, following the Dózsa–FTC match, the crowd hurled anti-Semitic insults at the players and referees, fueled by the identification of MTK as a “Jewish team.” On 21 September tensions escalated further when a group of youths attempted to attack students at the Rabbinical Seminary, but police intervention thwarted the attack. The Ministry of the Interior introduced strict punitive and preventive measures: dozens of perpetrators were taken into custody, and for subsequent matches, the police kept troublemakers away from the stadiums by issuing mandatory summonses.