Erzsébetváros
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Dob utca 53: Hidden Art Nouveau Facade in the 7th District of Budapest
This Art Nouveau house is tucked away on Dob utca, a street in the 7th district of Budapest. Constructed between 1904 and 1905, it is the first apartment building designed by István Nagy Jr., the architect who also designed the “Szenes-ház” at Thököly út 46. It was built for Mór Schwartz, a wealthy textile merchant,…
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Kazinczy utca 5: The House of the Bell-Makers
This apartment building, located at Kazinczy utca 5 in the 7th district of Budapest, was designed by Antal Klenovits and completed in 1895. It was originally constructed for Anna Mária, Ferenc, Jakab Antal, and Klára Walser. Ferenc Walser owned a bell foundry located on the opposite side of the street, at Kazinczy utca 6/a. Ferenc…
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Király utca 21: One of Budapest’s Most Elegant Staircases
Nestled within Király utca 21 stands one of Budapest’s most elegant staircases, housed within the oldest surviving building on the street. Crafted by Mihály Pollack for Ferenc Dlauchy, a prosperous locksmith and frequent collaborator of the architect, this architectural masterpiece has weathered the test of time. However, the same cannot be said for many neighboring…
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Dohány utca 22: The Árkád Bazár
I took these photos at Dohány utca 22, an Art Nouveau building known as the “Árkád Bazár,” once home to the Késmárky and Illés toy store. In prewar Budapest, children dreamed of shopping here, as the first floors housed the city’s largest toy store, while apartments occupied the top floors. Designed by brothers László and…
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Síp utca 8-10 : Ruins in the Heart of Erzsébetváros
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…
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Rózsa utca 29 : The Poet who Wanted to Die
Rózsa utca 29, a large apartment house in Budapest’s 7th district, is a lesser-known work by architect Gyula Fodor, renowned for his Art Nouveau building. Gyula Fodor,designed many amazing buildings in Budapest such as Csokonai utca 8, Hajós utca 25, Dózsa György út 64, or Baross utca 11, Falk Miksa 13. According to what I…
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Thököly út 10 : Hungarian Emigrants’ First Steps Toward the United States
The section of Thököly út between Keleti and Reiner Frigyes Park is, in my opinion, one of the most depressing areas in Budapest (if you go further you will find nice villas such as Thököly út 61). The deteriorating facades are darkened by pollution, and there are numerous stores and pubs that closed long ago.…
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Akácfa utca 11: Stories Written on its Walls
This building did not seem particularly appealing from the outside, but the walls of the staircase were covered with graffiti that told tales of its past. My favorite one was written by tinkers/plumbers before 1990 (since it refers to Boulevard Lenin, which was the name of Erzsébet Boulevard between 1950 and 1990). Some other graffiti…
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Kazinczy Utca 16 – The Last Mikveh in Budapest
The courtyard of Kazinczy utca 16, in Budapest’s Jewish district, may appear somewhat derelict from this viewpoint. However, the side of the building on the left, which serves as a mikveh (a Jewish ritual bath), underwent renovation a few years ago, and you can admire its interesting facade when walking on Kazinczy utca. The mikveh…
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Silent Witnesses to History: Bullet Holes in Király utca 49
Some photos of Király utca 49 where the renovation has recently started. The façade of this historical house is adorned with a statue of Saint Therese, representing the pharmacy of the same name that occupied the building from 1957 until the early 1940s. During my exploration, I noticed bullet or shrapnel holes on the top…
Buildings Tell Tales 