Walking into Izabella utca 63 in Budapest’s 6th district feels like entering an old castle. It’s amazing how many small architectural details, such as the special tiles and ironwork, have been preserved over the years. Even the doors of the apartments resemble castle walls! This house was built in the 1890s for Dávid Kopf and designed by his brother Dániel.

In 1944, this house became a “yellow star house” making it a compulsory home for Jews in Budapest. From there, they were sent either to the ghetto or the “protected houses” within the “international ghetto,” under the protection of neutral countries. A letter sent to the mayor of Budapest in 1944 revealed that 18 out of the 25 flats in this building were rented by people of Jewish descent.