The darker side of Budapest

August 10th: A recurring theme I have encountered since traveling throughout Europe, particularly Eastern and Central Europe, is how so many of these cities are oxymorons; they are so beautiful but have an incredibly messed up history! Budapest definitely
fits this as well!

In my two days here, I have seen the beauty of the Danube River, the wonderful palaces and medieval churches, the series of idyllic bridges, and the start of the Buda Hills that jut up immediately as soon as you cross the Danube.

However, Budapest has a HORRIBLE past related to the Holocaust and its persecution of Jews and various partisans during WWII. The past few days, I have seen that "darker" side of Budapest and I was sickened and saddened over it. Yesterday, Robyn and I went first to this underground hospital bunker and then to the Great Synagogue (the second largest in the world). The hospital bunker was in use during WWII and the Cold War, and it also served as a nuclear haven in case of an attack. While only created to hold less than 100 patients at a time, during the second World War, it ended up treating 700-800 patients at once. Things got so bad there that nurses and doctors actually cut the bandages off the dead soldiers to use on those still alive.

Going to the Great Synagogue was humbling for me for myriad reasons. While I am not overly religious, I did still feel a connection to my own past and was proud yet again to see that despite over 2 millennia of discrimination, persecution, and genocide, we still have survived and thrived! At the Synagogue, there were several memorials to the over 500,000 Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Nazis and Arrow Cross militia. A cemetery is in the courtyard and there is a metallic tree with leaves that have the names of Jews who were killed. Each leaf has a name carefully inscribed and the leaves are about the size of a pinky. The Synagogue even has an archive where people can try to find the fates of their loved ones! Humbling!

Probably the most striking reminder of the Holocaust in Budapest exists on the "Pest" side of the Danube River. There, about a quarter mile from Parliament, lies a series of shoes from victims who were shot and then shoved into the river by the Arrow Cross Militia toward the end of the war. I almost broke down when I saw a pair of children's shoes! Look... I have studied the Holocaust, heard countless survivors, designed a course, and have now been to Dachau. Yet, I will STILL NEVER understand how this ever happened! I just don't get it and never will!