Béla Szalai
Béla Szalai | |
|---|---|
 Béla Szalai standing next to Ernő Gerő, 1955 | |
| President of the National Planning Office | |
| In office 1954–1956 | |
| Preceded by | Zoltán Vas |
| Succeeded by | Andor Berei |
| Minister of Light Industry | |
| In office 1954–1955 | |
| Preceded by | Árpád Kiss |
| Succeeded by | Józsefné Nagy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 July 1922 Kutas, Hungary |
| Died | 18 September 2008 (aged 86) Budapest, Hungary |
| Political party | Hungarian Communist Party, Hungarian Working People's Party, Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party |
| Occupation | Economist, diplomat |
Béla Istvan Szalai (26 July 1922 – 18 September 2008) was a Hungarian communist politician, diplomat and economist.
Biography
Szalai was born in to a poor peasant family. He attended elementary school in Szigetvár, then a commercial high school in Kaposvár. He started working in a company in 1940, while he continued his studies at the József Nádor Technical University. Near the end of World War II he participated in the communist resistance movement.[1] In 1945 he joined the Hungarian Communist Party and got a position in the Hungarian Democratic Youth Association. In 1946 he obtained a diploma from the technical university, after 2 years he received his doctorate there.[2]
Between 1948 and 1957 he was a deputy of the National Assembly. From 1949 he held high positions in the party thanks to Ernő Gerő's backing. In 1951 he attended a one-year party course in Moscow. In 1953 he headed the National Planning Office and later was minister of light industry.[3] After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 he was demoted and given a diplomatic assignment in East Berlin. He was deputy minister between 1963 and 1980, then until his retirement in 1985 he was ambassador to East Germany.[2]
References
- ^ "Szalai Béla - Névpont 2025". Névpont.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ a b "Szalai Béla". www.kommunizmuskutato.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ "Személyi névtér – Nemzeti Névtér. Béla Szalai" (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2025-07-10.