Frank’s humble and inadequate attempt to convey the depth of destruction and human misery inflicted by in Budapest by both the Nazi and Soviet occupations.
*** Warning: Disturbing Images Below ***
And to honor the memories of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom, to share of glimpse of the economic and social ills that persist, and to shine a light on the pernicious evils perpetuated by xenophobia and authoritarianism even this day. (Fuck you, Viktor Orban and company).
Time Magazine Cover of Hungarian Freedom Fighter1956 Memorial in City ParkA walking Celebration of Diversity, not an easy sell in conservative Hungary
Gellert Hill War Museum
The Citadel on Gellert Hill is home to a war museum that showcases photographs of the utter destruction inflicted on Budapest during World War II.Holocaust victims…and street justice.A child’s visual prayer for peace.UNHCR Mural in Gozsdu Udvar“Orban eats caviar for dinner. And you? Nothing.”
The Great Synagogue
The Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe…Most Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.… a memorial to over 400,000 Hungarian Jews exterminated by the Nazis…The Tree of Life, in the courtyard behind, is particularly worth a visit.The name of real human being inscribed on each and every leaf.Memorial to Raoul Wallenberg and other Righteous Among the Nations.Memorial plaques to countless Holocaust victims can be found in front of current residences everywhere.Shoes on the Danube, a moving memorial to the Jews murdered by the fascists of the Arrow Cross.Reminder in the current ruins of the Jewish Quarter
Terror House
Terror House, a memorial museum dedicated to the victims of the Nazi and Soviet regimes…Many freedom fighters were interrogated, tortured, or killed in this very building.National hero Nagy Imre overlooking Parliament
Kerepesi Cemetery
Kerepesi Cemetery…Soviet graves from the Second World WarMemorial to the Kossuth Lajos square massacre 1956
Angel Gabriel Memorial
The highly controversial “Angel Gabriel” MemorialSoviet Propaganda (In the National Museum)X’d Out Soviet Street Signs (In the National Museum)Hungarian Flag with Hammer and Sickle Cut OutSoviet Monument (The Finger)Telltale symptom of poverty
Hi Frank, it is overwhelming to witness, thanks to you, the footprints left by those who would have been better to roam elsewhere
Thanks for checking in and adding your thoughts, brother