Mátyás Miklós

Mátyás, Miklós Miklós Mátyás was a barber who worked in Kőbánya, one of the suburbs of Budapest. Rabbi Dr. Kálmán Ödön, the chief rabbi of Kőbánya, had been one of his clients for years, and Mátyás was in the habit of going to the rabbi’s home in order to cut his hair. In time, they became close friends. In 1944, Mátyás was drafted into the Hungarian army. He served as a registrar at the army headquarters of Csepel, an island located near Budapest on the Danube River, which was the site of heavy industry. Many Jews, members of forced-labor units, worked in the Csepel Island factories. During the Arrow Cross period, after October 15, 1944, Mátyás was amazed to discover Rabbi Ödön amongst the men of the forced-labor unit on the island. He made contact with the rabbi and offered his help. Mátyás obtained letters of protection for Rabbi Ödön and for dozens of other men in the labor unit. Arriving in army uniform, he managed to get these letters of protection to the Jews, and helped them to escape from the camp, which was under German and Hungarian control, just before the labor servicemen, including Rabbi Ödön, were to be deported to the German Reich. With Mátyás’s help, the rabbi reached the protected house. He remained there safely until he was liberated in January 1945. After the war, Rabbi Dr. Kálmán Ödön wrote Mátyás a letter of gratitude for saving his life. On November 1, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Miklós Mátyás as Righteous Among the Nations.