The Shoes By The Danube

Located in Hungry Budapest, next the the gleaming white parliament building, their is sixty pairs of old fashioned shoes that have been made out of Iron, these being woman, men and children, they are scatter across the front of the bank to make it feel that the owner has stepped out of them and left their shoes.

These shoes are a memorial to the Hungarian Jews. In winter 1944-1945 number of Jews was shot along the bank of the Danube. After the Germans taking over the movement of Miklos Horthy, bring in a Arrow Cross party to power, number of Militiamen ran the streets of Budapest beating and killing Jews, number of people was rounded up at the Danube bank and told them to take of their shoes before shooting them, reason why they told them to take their shoes of, in that period of time it was wealthy thing to have. the murders used the Dabube so that the river would carry their bodies away, some of the children would have their shoes laces removed to be used to tie their hands together before shooting them, some times would tie 2 or 3 Jews together and shot one of them and this victim would pull their fellow Jews into the Danube and then the Germans would use the Jews who was alive floating down the river as targets.

This is a small but moving memorial, think it is important to read up on places such as this before visiting, from reading up on this before visiting it gave me a better understanding what took place their and I was more emotionally moved from having a better understanding. I think people who may walk pass and don’t understand the memorial would see it as insignificant, however we must remember past events that took place as it is a learning tool so it does not happen again.