Exploring Street Art in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest

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Each time I saw yet another hollowed out construction site snuggled between two buildings, my step grew faster. I was on the look-out for telescopic cranes rising above the roofs, my ears on alert for their loud, rattling caw.

 

These monstrosities usually send me in the opposite direction. Instead, I took pleasure in this urban exploration of the Jewish Quarter in Budapest.

 

A mural by Spanish artist, Okuda. The man is, Angel Sanz Bris, known as “The Angel of Budapest” for having saved 5,000 Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust

 

As a result, plenty of street art can be found in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. Once a walled ghetto, the Jewish Quarter has become an eclectic hub for thriving artists from around the world. I love it when disgruntled neighbourhoods morph into artistic havens!

 

Large mural of a female bull wearing a frilly purple dress in Budapest, Hungary


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"Living Space" - A collaboration of two Hungarian artists, FatHeat and Ciripp

 

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Having said that, don’t be mistaken into thinking the Jewish Quarter has fallen victim to gentrification. Despite its artsy revival, remnants of its ghettoized past remain. Dilapidated buildings are common in this area waiting to be either demolished or reinvented.

 

Large mural of a young girl with brown eyes wearing a multi-coloured striped headscarf in Budapest, Hungary
"One Family Torn Apart By War Is Too Many" - Mural created for World Refugee Day 2014

 

In 1944, all Jews living in Budapest were forced to resettle in a fortified neighbourhood, which became known as the Jewish Ghetto. Jews weren't allowed to leave the ghetto for fear of being shot dead.

 

From December 1944 to January 1945, approximately 70,000 Jews lived in an area covering only 0.3 square kilometres. During this short period, 10,000 Jews lost their lives.

 

I was often confronted with this horrific past as I explored the street art in the Jewish Quarter.

 

See a detailed map of Budapest street art here

 

A mural by Hungarian street artist, Richárd Orosz, including a Rubik’s Cube created by Hungarian, Erno Rubik

 

READ MORE ON STREET ART

 

 

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2 Responses

  1. […] leaving Budapest feeling somewhat deflated, I had high hopes for the second city on our tour of the Balkans. The bus […]

  2. […] Read also: The Jewish Quarter of Budapest – From Ghetto to Outdoor Art Gallery […]

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By: Lydia November 7, 2019

Lydia