The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Conceived by film director Can Togay, he created it on the west bank of …
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Mar 2, 2025
I think this is probably the most moving monument that I have ever seen about World War 2. Everyone should go, you get an enormous sense of the desperate plight of the Jews and the dreadful sadness o…Full review by Servicejunky
Feb 11, 2025
Deeply moving memorial on the river bank respectfully done. Thankfully everyone visiting was quiet. Easy to find along the riverbank from the parliament buildingFull review by I4996RBjoannap
Feb 1, 2025
Really impactful and hard hitting. Thought provoking. Lots of flowers and gifts left by people paying their respects Recent additions of yellow ribbons for those affected by genocide in Gaza. All…Full review by 645gaylec
Is thé monúment accessible with a wheelchair? Is there a toilet for the handicapped, with a handle on both sides of the seat?
A:
The monument is on a public sidewalk that is next to the river. I think there is probably wheelchair access to the sidewalk but I can’t say where that would be. There are no bathroom …
The monument is on a public sidewalk that is next to the river. I think there is probably wheelchair access to the sidewalk but I can’t say where that would be. There are no bathroom facilities associated with the monument itself.
If we are taking tram #2 which stop should we get off at? Timetables are in Hungarian! Many thanks.
A:
I don't know the tram stop as we had walked to it after passing the Parliament. Here's what Wikipedia says "The monument is located on the Pest side of the Danube Promenade in line …
I don't know the tram stop as we had walked to it after passing the Parliament. Here's what Wikipedia says "The monument is located on the Pest side of the Danube Promenade in line with where Zoltan Street would meet the Danube if it continued that far, about 300 metres (980 ft) south of the Hungarian Parliament and near the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; between Roosevelt Square and Kossuth square.[1]". I don't think you'll have too much difficulty finding it as it is one of the top sites in Budapest. There were plenty of tourists the day we visited; our challenge was finding a location to photograph without people obstructing the many pairs of sculptured shoes.
This memorial is to the 20,000 Jews who were shot on the shores of the Danube by the Hungarian Arrow-Cross (Nylas), an official arm of the Hungarian government. While some non-Jews would have suffered this fate, namely those that had the amazing courage to try to help Jews, an offence punishable by immediate execution, this execution process was intended exclusively for Jews as part of the genocide that was passionately supported by the Hungarian Arrow-Cross. The absence of the mention of Jews on the plaques is an example of the whitewashing by the Hungarian government of the role of the Hungarian Arrow Cross in the Jewish genocide of WWII. The presence of a plaque in Hebrew is evidence of the true history represented by the Shoes but very few people who visit the memorial would understand its significance.
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