Ágoston Valentiny

Who was Ágoston Valentiny?

Ágoston Valentiny was a Hungarian politician and jurist, who served as Minister of Justice in the Interim National Government. He was born into a working-class family with six children. His father was a machine fitter and engineer. Valentiny finished his law studies in Kolozsvár. He joined the Hungarian Social Democratic Party on 1 January 1919. During the German occupation in 1944 he was interned. After the "Liberation" of Szeged he became mayor of the town. He was a member of the Interim National Assembly.

After the 1945 elections he had to resign from the ministerial position because of the communists' attacks. After that he worked as a lawyer. He was arrested and sentenced in a show trial in 1950. He was set free after five years. After his death he was rehabilitated.