In recent years, I’ve captured thousands of photos of old buildings in Budapest. Editing and organizing them is an incredible time commitment. As a way to slow down and contemplate my subject matter more deeply, I sometimes choose to shoot on film. This particular photograph was taken from the building of the Jewish Community of Budapest, using my Mamiya 645 1000s camera.

The Budapest Ghetto, established in November 1944, tragically encompassed these very buildings at Síp utca 8 and 10. Tens of thousands of Jews were forced into this overcrowded area before being deported to concentration camps. Despite being designated historical monuments, the inner sections of these buildings were demolished in the 2000s, leaving only the streetfront intact.

These structures were once part of an ambitious project known as the “Herzl Passage” which entailed adding three floors and constructing luxury apartments in what is often called the “Jewish District” of Budapest (this denomination was created in the early 2000s, historically, Jews lived in various district and were not segregated in a particular area unlike in other central/eastern European cities). However, the project was ultimately abandoned due to the 2008 financial crisis. “Ismeretlen Budapest” reported in 2021 that these buildings are slated to become a luxury hotel, with plans to restore the historical facades. However, construction has yet to commence, leaving the future of these buildings uncertain.