
My name is Vincent Baumgartner. Born in Bienne, Switzerland, to a Hungarian mother, I’ve always felt at home in Budapest, where I spent all my summers during my childhood. After growing up in Switzerland and completing my bachelor’s degree in Hungary, I spent some time in Ukraine and Iran before finally repatriating to Budapest in 2018.
In 2018, I started my first project, Bricks of Budapest/Budapest Téglái. In 2019, I launched Buildings Tell Tales, and since then I have visited and photographed over 1000 old buildings in Budapest. My goal is not only to take photos but to uncover the interesting stories hidden behind the old walls. By linking the stories of ordinary people such as workers, students, merchants, and domestic workers to specific places, I want to make the past tangible. Old buildings should be preserved not only for their aesthetic value but also for the memories they hold and the stories they tell.
My photographic journey began modestly, primarily relying on my phone. Yet, the pursuit of aesthetically pleasing photos pushed me to invest in equipment and seek guidance from a professional photographer. Continuous learning and skill improvement remain constants, and I’m always eager to share my experiences.
I invite you to join me in exploring the stories of Budapest’s old buildings through my photos and writings!
My first photobook was published in September 2025. It brings together a selection of Budapest’s most captivating historical residential buildings, many shown for the first time. If you enjoy discovering hidden architectural gems and the stories behind them, this book is for you. You can order it from the editor’s website, with worldwide shipping available.
Features
- An interview in French by the great journalist Joël Le Pavous in the Swiss newspaper Le Temps
- An interview in Hungarian broadcasted on Radio Free Europe/Szabad Európa Rádió
- An article about me in the Budapest Times
- An article about me in Neked Elmesélem (in Hungarian)
- The list of articles I wrote for Le Courrier d’Europe Centrale (in French)
- My article, published in the Jerusalem Post, about a house that was in danger of being demolished
- An article I wrote about historical graffiti, which was published on the blog of the National Library of Israel
- A video where I speak about the historical graffiti at Szent János Hospital, published by 24.hu (in Hungarian)
- An article written by Miklós Vincze about an old inscription I found in Józsefváros (in Hungarian)
- A story about a graffiti carved by a prisoner of war, published on Behir (in Hungarian)
- A presentation of my project ‘Bricks of Budapest’ published in the Calvert Journal
- An article in French published in the Journal Francophone de Budapest
- Another article in French about my project published in Le Courrier d’Europe Centrale
- I was also featured in the Budapest special issue of Hype&Hyper (the article is only available in the printed magazine).

