In a process for memory management in the execution of a program by a portable data carrier which has a first and a second memory region for the storage of objects generated in program execution, an object is initially created at least in part in the second memory region. If, in the course of further program execution, a persistent reference to the object is generated, the object is transferred to the first memory region. In a process for converting a source program into an executable program, a check is carried out at compile time as to whether a persistent reference to an object to be newly created is generated. Depending on the result of that check, program code is generated which creates the object either in the first or at least in part in the second memory region.