Ernő Prónai
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ernő Prónai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 March 1885 |
| Died | 29 June 1944 (aged 59) |
| Cause of death | murdered by Nazi Germany |
| Known for | head of the Judenrat in Békéscsaba |
| Spouse | Mária Guttmann |
Ernő Prónai (25 March 1885 – 29 June 1944) was a Hungarian Jewish jurist during the World War II. Following the German invasion of Hungary, he served as president of the Judenrat in Békéscsaba.
Ernő Prónai was born in Budapest in 1885, as the son of József Prónai and Hermina Körpel. The original family name was Neugeboren. He studied law in Budapest. Moving to Békéscsaba, he became a wealthy lawyer. During his career, he served as chief prosecutor of Békés County, he worked as legal counsel for the Commercial Bank of Békés County and was a board member of the Békéscsabai Áruforgalmi Rt. company. He was also a member of the legislature of Békéscsaba in the 1930s. Prónai became head of the local Neolog Jewish congregation prior to May 1941. At the time of the German invasion, he was also acting president of the 21st congregation district (Nagyvárad) of the Neolog community due to the long-term illness of Samu Meer.[1]
He married Mária Guttmann in November 1918. They had a son and a daughter Anna (b. 1922). Prónai and his wife were one of the wealthiest residents of Békéscsaba, owing a ten-room apartment (called Guttmann–Prónai house), which also served as the headquarters of Prónai's law firm.[1]