Komoly was one of the most prominent figures of Hungarian Jewry during the Holocaust. In his adolescence he was active in the “Ivriya” movement and later in the Student Union “Maccabea”.
He studied engineering and was a railway engineer. In WW I he served in the Hungarian army as a lieutenant and was given decorations for excellence. Later he was upgraded to the rank of captain.
Komoly translated Herzl’s book “Altneuland” from German and called it “Ősi föld új hon”. He wrote the following books: “The Future of the Jewish People” (1919), “How Shall We Build My House?” (1933) and “A Zionist World View” (Cionista életszemlélet).
In 1940 Komoly was elected president of the Hungarian Zionist Association in Hungary and was the leader of the Relief and Rescue Committee. He supported Kasztner who made contact with the Germans in order to save Jews. Komoly also supported the underground activities of the Zionist youth movements. He had contacts with the Hungarian liberal circles, the Spanish and Swiss consulates, the Pope’s representative and the Protestant clergy. He was in touch with the younger son of Horthy, the Hungarian ruler.
After the Germans invaded Hungary on 19.3.1944, Komoly worked with all his heart and strength in the rescue of Jews. He was active in setting up children’s houses for Jewish children most of whom were orphans. Komoly was appointed to a high position in the International Red Cross and through this organization expanded his activities. With the rise to power of the Arrow Cross Party on 15.10.1944 he left his apartment together with his wife and moved to the Ritz Hotel where he handled the rescue issues. Komoly was taken from the hotel by Arrow Cross thugs in a devious way and his traces disappeared. In 1944 and until he disappeared, Komoly kept a diary where he described the efforts, of which he was a partner, made to save Hungarian Jewry.
