Declaration on changing of religion (1946)

Changing of the religion has never been a mass phenomenon among Hungarian Jews. A mere 10,000 Jews, slightly over one percent of the total Jewish population in 1910 converted to Christianity between 1896 and 1917. Although conversions culminated in the antisemitic atmosphere of the interwar era, even the 8,584 cases in 1938 represented 1.1 percent of the total Jewish population of 1941. Many Jews thought during the Holocaust that they would be exempt of the antisemitic laws and measures by converting to Christianity. Despite repeated promises the government made towards the churches not to harm Hungarians of Jewish origin and Christian faith, authorities eventually destined them to the same fate: deprivation of rights, looting and deportation. Yet, the number of conversions rose steadily - thousands hoped their life would be spared if converted. Many of those who had converted under coercion returned to the faith of their forefathers after the war.