The Real Purpose of Cartels: Theory and Practice in Hungary between the Two World Wars

During the interwar period, economic conditions in Hungary changed significantly, which also had an impact on the development of law, including private and commercial law. The Hungarian Cartel Act of 1931 legalized cartels under certain conditions. This resulted in cartels being placed under supervision and their operations being controlled in the public interest. This was the most important aim of the state, which was enshrined in legislation against cartels. The question is what the real purpose of cartels was, what motivated them and kept them alive during the period under review. The aim of the cartels can be examined on the basis of the cartel agreements found in the archives. The aim of this study is to use archival sources to reveal the aim of the cartel, which fundamentally determined its organizational structure.