Once, Central-Eastern Europe was a home to the biggest Jewish community in the world. Today, it is here, in Hungary, where the largest Jewish population in this part of Europe lives. Our tour will give you a chance to learn about the multithreaded history of the Jewish people in Hungary and Budapest, the Holocaust and the present-day life of the community.
Despite the presence of the Jews in Budapest dates back to mediaeval ages, their original district does not exist any more. It was destroyed during the great clash between the Ottomans and allied European forces that finally led to the city being taken over by the Habsburgs in the 17th century. The rebuild and rapid development of the coming years offered numerous opportunities and the Jewish community was built back here, in the district of Pest in the 18th century. The growing number of Jewish entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, and scientists, who had finally gained equal citizens rights, contributed greatly to the development of Budapest.
Before the Second World War, the Jews constituted 23% of the population of the city and the Jewish quarter was bustling with life. Some would leave Budapest facing the growing antisemitism and made their way to the USA, making great careers, also in Hollywood. Life and progress came to a halt during the war years. Although Jews in Hungary were relatively safe, finally in 1944 mass killings and deportations to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp began. After the war, those who survived lived mostly here, in Budapest. Today the city is a home to some 80 thousands Jewish people of different walks of life: Hasidic, conservative, reform and non-religious.
During our tour we will walk around the Jewish district to see the massive Dohány Street Grand Synagogue, the biggest synagogue in Europe and second largest in the world, as well as other places of worship. We will be explaining the traditions, culture, and food of the neighbourhood as well as its hidden Jewish symbols. We will also introduce you to the other, funky face of the place. Because today Jewish district is the hottest and most colourful area of Budapest, with its numerous coffee houses, restaurants, galleries and designer shops, but it is also an epicentre of the city’s nightlife, a place to find some famous ruin bars!
During this 2-2,5 hour tour, you will see and learn about:
- the Dohány street Grand synagogue
- the Tree of Life Holocaust memorial
- the Kazinczy street Orthodox synagogue
- the Status quo ante Rumbach street synagogue
- places where Jewish and non-Jewish life concentrates
- the night life and some most interesting pubs in the area
… and much, much more!
