Yesterday t was “lomtalanítás” day in the Palotanegyed (Palace District). Each year, one day is allocated to each area of the city for garbage disposal. The inhabitants can put almost everything on the streets, and before the garbage trucks arrive, many individuals collect valuable items to sell in various flea markets or online.
For me, “lomtalanítás” is both fascinating and heartbreaking because every year I witness how some people care little about preserving the past. Century-old doors, wooden window frames, and amazing pieces of furniture are thrown away.

However, this year I witnessed something even more saddening. In front of a house on Szentkirályi utca, the old wooden plaque with the names of the inhabitants was discarded. This isn’t just a beautiful piece; it was also part of this house for over 100 years. How could they just throw it away?

When I saw it, the plaque and other old items from the house had already been “reserved” by a man I know from the times when I used to hunt for old photos in Budapest’s flea markets. He offered to sell it to me for a fair price, and I seriously considered buying it. However, I ultimately decided against it (it’s quite heavy, and I don’t have much space at my place). He will most probably sell it at the Ecseri flea market, and a collector will purchase it, keeping it far from the house where it belonged.