Győző Istóczy

Győző Istóczy
Born Győző Istóczy
November 7, 1842
Szentkereszt
Died January 9, 1915 (aged 72)
Budapest
Citizenship Hungarian
Known for Antisemitic politician
Political party
 National Antisemitic Party
The native form of this personal name is Istóczy Győző. This article uses the Western name order.

Győző Istóczy (7 November 1842, Szentkereszt - 9 January 1915, Budapest) was a nationalist Hungarian politician and lawyer in the second half of the 19th century. His antisemitic views were flagrant during his political career.

Political career

He was born in Szentkereszt (today: Táplánszentkereszt, Vas County) on 7 November 1842. He finished his secondary studies in Szombathely. He graduated from the University of Vienna and University of Budapest. After graduating Law he became deputy recorder of the county. He was appointed judge of the County Court in 1868.

He became a member of the Diet of Hungary in 1872 as a member of the Deák Party and represented Rum District until 1892. After merging of Deák Party and Centre Left (1875) he joined to the newly formed Liberal Party. However he left the group soon and became a non-partisan MP. In 1880 he founded Alliance of Non-Jews and edited anti-Semitic journal Tizenkét röpirat ("Twelve pamphlets").

During the Tiszaeszlár blood libel in 1882 Géza Ónody, representative of Tiszaeszlár in the Hungarian Parliament, and Istóczy proposed the expulsion of the Jews in the House of Representatives, excited the public against the local Jews, resulting in a number of violent acts and pogroms. Despite Eszter Solymosi having probably been a victim of a sexual aggression (pedophilia), they spread the charge that the Jews killed the girl in order to use her blood at the approaching Passover (April 4). After the trial he founded the National Antisemitic Party onto the sample of the German Christian Social Party. They gained 17 mandates in 1884 elections. His party divided in 1885 but they still entered the legislature during 1887 elections. Soon after the National Antisemitic Party finally collapsed. After 1892 he retired from the politics.

Istóczy became a kind of a precursor in the eyes of the subsequent far right parties and movements.

References