The European conflict associated with World War II ended in May, 1945. Despite the conclusion of fighting, the postwar years were challenging for Hungarians, especially for Noémi and other Holocaust survivors. The region had been ravaged by vigorous combat in the months before the Nazi and Hungarian armies were finally defeated. Even after the war ended, life was far from normal. Many homes and businesses throughout Hungary had been destroyed, and countless lives were interrupted or irrevocably altered as a consequence of the war. There were food and housing shortages and crippled public transportation. Making matters worse, in addition to their own war-related repair costs, Hungary was responsible for paying 300 million dollars in reparations to countries damaged by their wartime activities.

    Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who gained control of the Soviet Marxist–Leninist regime after the death of Vladimir Lenin, used this postwar vulnerability to advance communist political, social, and economic agendas in Hungary and other Eastern European countries. The Soviets maximized their control by declining to withdraw their troops after the conclusion of World War II, continuing to occupy Hungary and other countries they hoped would become part of the Soviet bloc. The Soviets remaining in Hungary clandestinely recruited local spies and installed secret police, and helped communist sympathizers win positions of power in the postwar Hungarian government. These local communist leaders and the Soviet troops stationed throughout the country facilitated the eventual Soviet takeover of Hungary. Once in power, the Soviets seized ownership of private lands and businesses. Hungarian students were forced to study the ideological writings of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin, and Soviet-controlled newspapers and radio stations regularly disseminated propaganda designed to convince the defenseless Hungarians about the purported advantages of various communist-inspired actions.

    The Soviets further consolidated their power by removing noncommunist political leaders and by severely punishing dissenting voices. They carefully selected men to groom for communist leadership and maintained party loyalty by offering access to superior goods, services, and housing for those who embraced the communist cause. The Soviet-supported Hungarian secret police force, the Államvédelmi Hatóság (ÁVH), developed an extensive network of deputies and spies. The ÁVH was feared and hated because of their violent methods of torture and intimidation. Soviet military dominance and ÁVH brutality increased after the 1955 signing of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet-sponsored political and military alliance of Eastern Europe communist countries created in response to the postwar North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.

    After enduring more than a decade of broken promises and shortages of food and other consumer goods, Hungarians were desperate to break free from ÁVH and Soviet oppression. Frustrations escalated over the exploitation of workers and the use of Hungary’s industrial products and natural resources to enrich the Soviet Union. On October 23, 1956, ÁVH overreaction to a peaceful protest led to the spontaneous eruption of uprisings throughout the country, sparking the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The Soviets were unprepared for the fervent protests. Hundreds of thousands of Hungarian citizens, including many Hungarian soldiers, filled the streets demanding ouster of the Soviets and a return to democracy. Noémi and her family lived in Budapest during this uprising.

    The bravery and initial success of the Hungarian freedom fighters led to hope that human rights would be restored as a result of the revolution, especially when the Soviets decided to withdraw their troops from Budapest and to replace the despised prime minister with a more respected Hungarian leader. The new leader attempted to restore peace by demanding an end to one-party communist rule and the removal of all Soviet troops. He freed political prisoners and proposed that Hungary withdraw from the Soviet bloc and the Warsaw Pact.

    Although these moves were wholehearted supported by Hungarian citizens desperate to escape Soviet oppression, they were not well-received by Soviet leaders. On November 4, the Soviets reversed their decision to halt the occupation and instead deployed 60,000 military troops and 2,000 tanks to crush the uprising. The Hungarians’ hopes for change were dashed as the well-armed Soviets defeated the protesters and reasserted political control after arresting, and eventually executing, the new prime minister. This violent repression of the protests continued for almost a week. Thousands of Hungarians sustained serious injuries or lost their lives as they continued their valiant fight for the freedom of their country.

    During the initial weeks of fighting and chaos, the surprised Soviets were unable to maintain their usual border security, thus allowing thousands of Hungarians to flee the country and cross into neighboring Austria. This exodus created a major refugee crisis to which many Austrians responded by warmly welcoming and assisting the Hungarian refugees pouring into their country. The Austrian government not only provided refuge for the fleeing Hungarians, but also granted immediate asylum to the refugees. Despite public concerns about the financial impact of the crisis, Austria remained committed to refugee support and resettlement efforts. The number of refugees dwindled after Hungarian communist leaders reinstituted travel restrictions and closed the borders after crushing the revolution. The ÁVH relentlessly searched for and punished defectors and revolutionaries, using consequences that included torture, imprisonment, and execution. The many Hungarians who still wished to escape the deteriorating living conditions were thwarted not only by the heightened Soviet control and oppression, but also by the onset of dangerous winter weather.

    Life after the war and under communism was particularly problematic for Hungarian Jews. A majority of the Hungarian Jewish population—over 500,000—had been annihilated during the Holocaust. The survivors were forced to cope with devastating emotional losses as well as the lingering physical and psychological effects of the inhumane treatment they received from the Nazis. The survivors’ savings, prized possessions, and homes had been stolen or destroyed, leaving many homeless. Most recognized that their government and many of their neighbors had turned against them during the era of Nazi brutality. For many, this realization severed their pride in and attachment to their homeland. For Noémi and many other survivors, this was a life-altering consequence of the Holocaust.

    After their liberation, there were no systems in place for Jewish survivors to seek justice for their losses. Compounding their isolation, the Soviets forced Jews to abandon the comfort of religious observance or social connections within the Jewish community. In pursuit of the communist goal of promoting atheism and eliminating religion, Jewish organizations were harassed, schools were closed, and religious property was once again confiscated. Acutely aware that the overthrow of the Nazis did not end fascism, many of the surviving Hungarian Jews sought safety by emigrating to the newly established nation of Israel. Although there was less direct expression of anti-Semitism under communist control, Nazi sympathizers within Hungary used the political instability during and following the Hungarian Revolution to resurrect their cause, further terrorizing the Hungarian Jews who remained in the country. This ongoing oppression combined with the terror of Nazi resurgence prompted Noémi to make some risky and life-changing decisions.