András Kun: Fascist Priest Who Led Jewish Massacres in Budapest

András Kun was a Catholic priest who became a brutal killer for Hungary’s Arrow Cross regime, leading murders during the Holocaust in Budapest. András Kun was one of the most disturbing figures of the Holocaust in Hungary—a Roman Catholic priest who became a fanatical executioner for the fascist Arrow Cross regime during the final months of World War II. As Nazi Germany tightened its grip on Hungary in 1944, Kun abandoned any remaining pretense of clerical duty and embraced radical antisemitism, violence, and mass murder. Born in 1911, Kun was ordained as a priest but became increasingly drawn to fascist ideology. After Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944 and installed the Arrow Cross Party, Kun rose rapidly within the regime. Wearing his priest’s cassock, a pistol, and an Arrow Cross armband, he led death squads in Budapest that hunted down Jews hiding in hospitals, convents, nursing homes, and protected houses under foreign diplomatic cover. Under Kun’s command, hundreds of men, women, and children were tortured, robbed, and executed. Patients were shot in their beds, elderly residents dragged into courtyards and murdered, and entire groups were marched to the Danube, where they were shot and thrown into the river. Survivors later testified that Kun often gave execution orders “in the name of Christ,” blending religious language with extreme brutality. Even fellow Arrow Cross officials eventually viewed Kun as uncontrollable. His crimes extended beyond Jews to include foreign diplomats, Hungarian civilians, and police officers. Arrested shortly before the Soviet capture of Budapest, Kun was ultimately tried by a Hungarian People’s Tribunal after the war. In September 1945, András Kun was convicted of hundreds of murders and sentenced to death. He showed no remorse, portraying himself as a victim to the very end. His execution closed one of the darkest chapters of the Holocaust in Hungary—a reminder of how ideology, power, and fanaticism can corrupt even those sworn to moral authority. This documentary examines András Kun’s crimes, the Arrow Cross terror in Budapest, and the broader context of the Holocaust in Hungary.This episode is part of the series Fascist Collaborators.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv