Rezső Nyers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rezső Nyers
Rezső Nyers in 1970
President of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
In office 26 June 1989 – 7 October 1989
Preceded by	Károly Grósz (as General Secretary)
Succeeded by	Himself (as President of the Hungarian Socialist Party)
Minister of Finance
In office 5 January 1960 – 27 November 1962
Preceded by	István Antos
Succeeded by	Mátyás Tímár
Personal details
Born	(1923-03-21)21 March 1923 Budapest, Hungary
Died	22 June 2018(2018-06-22) (aged 95) Budapest
Political party	SZDP (1940–48) MDP (1948–56) MSZMP (1956–89) MSZP (1989–2018)
Children	Rezső Nyers
Profession	Politician; economist

Rezső Nyers (born March 21, 1923 – died June 22, 2018) was an important Hungarian politician. He served as the Minister of Finance of Hungary from 1960 to 1962. For a short time in 1989, he was also the last leader of Hungary's Communist party.

Rezső Nyers: A Hungarian Leader

Early Life and Start in Politics

Rezső Nyers was born in Budapest, Hungary, on March 21, 1923. His father, Rezső Nyers Sr., was the last mayor of a town called Kispest. This town later became part of Budapest. Before becoming a politician, Rezső Nyers worked as a printer until 1944.

He joined the Social Democratic Party in 1940. Later, in 1948, this party joined with the Communist Party to form the Hungarian Working People's Party (MDP). Nyers became a member of this new party's leadership. From 1948 to 1953, he was a representative in the Hungarian Parliament. He also worked in the Ministry of Domestic Commerce. In 1954, he became a full member of the party's main leadership group.

Shaping Hungary's Economy

After 1956, the MDP party changed its name to the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP). Rezső Nyers joined its Central Committee in 1957 and stayed a member until 1989. He was also a member of the Parliament for many years, from 1958 to 1989.

From 1960 to 1962, Nyers served as the Minister of Finance. This meant he was in charge of the country's money and economy. In 1968, Nyers helped create a big economic plan called the New Economic Mechanism. This plan aimed to make Hungary's economy more modern and efficient. However, some people in the party did not like these changes, and the reforms did not fully succeed. After this, Nyers's political influence became less for a while.

Leading Through Change

In the late 1980s, Hungary was going through big changes. Rezső Nyers became a key figure in a group of reformers. These reformers wanted to move Hungary away from the old Communist system and towards a market economy, which is more like how economies work in Western countries.

In 1987, he became a Minister of State in the government. By 1989, the MSZMP party was changing a lot. On June 26, 1989, Nyers was chosen as the president of the MSZMP. This made him the most important leader in Hungary at that time. He led a group of four people who replaced the old Politburo, which was the main decision-making body.

On October 7, 1989, the MSZMP decided to officially end and start a new party called the Hungarian Socialist Party. Rezső Nyers became the first chairman of this new party. In the 1990 election, the new Socialist Party did not win many seats in parliament. Nyers then stepped down as chairman. He continued to serve in parliament until 1998, when he retired from politics.

Family Life

Rezső Nyers was married to Ilona Witz, who was a historian. They got married in 1946. Ilona passed away in 1988. They had one child, a son named Rezső Nyers Jr. His son later became the managing director of the Hungarian National Bank. Rezső Nyers died on June 22, 2018, at the age of 95.

Sources

• MTI Ki Kicsoda 2006, Magyar Távirati Iroda, Budapest, 2005, 1273–1274. old.
• Nyers 1996-os országgyűlési életrajza
• Életrajz az MTI 1956-os emlékoldalán