The Righteous Among the Nations

Vamos Joszef
Hungary

Rescuer Joszef Vamos in the 1950's

A question that is often asked is how survivors and rescuers met and whether they had a previous acquaintance. This question was also posed to Dr. Andrea Fellner, the survivor's daughter when she submitted the request to honor her mother and aunt's rescuer. 'He collected stamps', she said, 'and for years my grandmother used to give him stamps for his collection'. As it turned out, Grandma Fellner (as everyone called her) had three sisters who had emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920's. They wrote to her at least once a week, and she would give the stamps to Joszi, as Josef Vamos was called, the neighbor's son.

The Fellners lived in Budapest. Dr. Ferenc Fellner had graduated as a singer from the Liszt Academy in Budapest and was also a practicing physician. He was well-known for his singing, and performed in many European Opera houses. While appearing in Franz Lehar's operetta, The Land of Smiles, he met Fanny Vajda, a young singer. They and fell in love and married. The musical family had a secret family whistle – a part from a duet the couple had recorded together.

In summer 1944 the Jewish community in Budapest were concentrated in houses marked with a star. Among them were Grandma Fellner, her daughter Georgette Fellner, her daughter-in law, Fanny Fellner and her grand-daughter Andrea. Dr Fellner had been deported earlier. In November 1944, groups of Jews were taken and marched under heavy guard westwards, in the direction of Austria. Among them were Fanny and Georgette Fellner. On the same day Joszi presented himself before Grandma Fellner and asked if could help them in some way. Grandma Fellner gave him what seemed an impossible mission: "Bring Fanny and Georgette back home". Joszi, then aged twenty-six and a deserter from the Hungarian Army, did not say a word, but mounted his bicycle and went off following the route of the marching Jews in search of his former neighbors. In late November the roads were covered with mud, ice and snow, but he kept going until he located the marchers near the village of Gonyu. Notwithstanding the armed guards, he rode his bike along the column letting out the family whistle. The whistling was heard by the marchers, and during the night the two women disappeared from the procession and hid in a nearby wood. There Joszi found them and took them to the township of Komarom, near the railway-station. The railway-stations and trains were teeming with German soldiers and with local members of the arrow-cross Fascist movement - all lying in wait to seize escaping Jews. Moreover, Joszi, as a deserter from the Army, took a double risk in helping Jewish women to escape. He accompanied the women, until the three of them arrived safely in Budapest.