ia , ▁John ▁D . ▁Rock ef eller ▁and ▁the ▁ma har aj ah ▁of ▁Bar oda , ▁just ▁to ▁name ▁a ▁few . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁prem ature ly ▁killed ▁the ▁C aux ▁lux ury ▁hot els . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁hotel ' s ▁own ers , ▁the ▁golden ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Belle ▁E poque ▁would ▁never ▁return ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁economic ▁crisis ▁and ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁brought ▁all ▁the ▁hot els ▁to ▁bank rupt cy ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁hot els ▁fell ▁into ▁dis rep air ▁and ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁house ▁civil ian ▁refuge es ▁and ▁intern ed ▁escaped ▁Al lied ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war . ▁Finally ▁some ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁Jews ▁from ▁the ▁Kas zt ner ▁train ▁from ▁Budapest ▁found ▁refuge ▁there . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁the ▁former ▁C aux ▁Palace ▁Hotel ▁was ▁purchased ▁and ▁renov ated ▁by ▁the ▁Mor al ▁Re - Arm ament ▁organization ▁( M RA ), ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁an ▁international ▁conference ▁centre ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁recon c ili ation ▁of ▁European ▁pe op les . ▁They ▁held ▁many ▁work sh ops ▁and ▁brought ▁together ▁people ▁at ▁many ▁levels ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁society . ▁The ▁histor ians ▁Douglas ▁John ston ▁and ▁C yn th ia ▁Sam pson ▁describe ▁the ▁M RA ▁work ▁as ▁" important ▁contribution ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest ▁achiev ements ▁in ▁the ▁entire ▁record ▁of ▁modern ▁state craft :