The courtyard of Magdolna utca 18 has retained the old vibes of Józsefváros, the 8th district of Budapest. For decades, Budapestians used brushes produced in this house for their painting and shoe-cleaning needs. In 1870, Albert Wolsky established a brush-making factory here. After Albert’s passing, his son Sándor took over as the director and expanded the factory’s operations. They offered a diverse range of products, including paintbrushes and brooms, and even became an official supplier to the Hungarian Railways Company in the 1920s.

Tragedy struck in 1929 when Sándor Wolsky unexpectedly passed away. The company then merged with Antal Kartschoke’s own, and under his leadership, it continued to thrive. However, like many privately owned companies during that time, the brush-making factory was nationalized by the state in the late 1940s.

In 1944, this house became known as a “yellow-star house” serving as a compulsory residence for Jews in Budapest. From here, they were subsequently relocated to either the ghetto or the “protected houses” within the “international ghetto,” which were under the protection of neutral countries.