Shoes on the Danube Bank, Holocaust memorial in the 5th District of Budapest, Hungary.
The memorial consists of sixty pairs of cast iron shoes arranged along the Danube riverbank, representing Jewish victims who were shot by Hungarian fascist militias during World War II before being thrown into the river.
Created in 2005 by sculptors Can Togay and Gyula Pauer, the monument commemorates the executions that occurred between 1944 and 1945 when victims were forced to remove their footwear before being killed at the water's edge.
The shoes of varying sizes and styles represent men, women, and children affected by the persecution, serving as a gathering point for annual remembrance ceremonies and educational programs about the Holocaust in Hungary.
Located between the Hungarian Parliament and the Chain Bridge, the site is accessible via metro line M2 at Kossuth Lajos tér station and tram line 2, though wheelchair access remains limited due to the riverbank configuration.
Visitors regularly place candles and flowers among the metal shoes, creating an evolving space of personal reflection that has grown organically since the memorial's dedication on April 16, 2005.
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Budapest is a city where history appears at every corner. The Danube River divides the city into two parts: the hilly Buda with its castle and the flatter Pest with its wide streets and squares. Walking through Budapest, you see medieval churches standing beside 19th-century buildings, thermal baths...
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