Courtyards
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The Beautiful Courtyard of Havas utca 2
I love the courtyard of a late 19th-century apartment house located at Havas utca 2 in the 5th district of Budapest. The architect is unknown, and the house was completed in 1896. In 1960, a floor was added to the house, which is why the 5th floor looks different from the others. This house is…
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Persephone’s Statue in the Szemerédy-house : A Hidden Gem at Apáczai Csere utca 3
A few years ago, I discovered this delightful statue of Persephone in the “Szemerédy-ház” located at Apáczai Csere utca 3, in the 5th district of Budapest. This house, built in 1811, was commissioned by András Szemerédy, a judge, and constructed by József Hofrichter, who was quite renowned. Among his notable works are the Calvin Square…
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Dózsa György út 138-142 : Social Housing Project from the Early 20th Century
This expansive apartment house, located in the 13th district at Dózsa György út 138-142, was designed by Béla Rerrich and constructed in 1911-1912 as part of a housing development plan initiated by Mayor István Bárczy. Between 1909 and 1912, over 20 such large apartment houses were erected across Budapest, a response to the rapidly expanding…
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Nagy Lajos Király útja 104 : the ‘Sing Sing’ house in the 14th district of Budapest
Some locals have given the name ‘Sing Sing’ to this apartment building situated at Nagy Lajos Király útja 104, drawing a parallel with the infamous prison in the United States. Sadly, this nickname depicts the atmosphere of this house quite accurately! The majority of its apartments remain vacant, with the entrance walled off to prevent…
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Nagymező utca 18 : The House of the Duna Insurance Company
Upon entering Nagymező utca 18, an apartment house located at the corner of Nagymező utca and Andrássy Avenue in the 6th district of Budapest, you will notice a large iron “D” that reflects the building’s history. The ironwork of this building preserves the memory of the Duna Insurance Company, which had its headquarters here. The…
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Lipót Baumhorn’s Forgotten Gem: Visit Szív utca 66
When I entered the building located at Szív utca 66, I was immediately struck by both its beauty and its deplorable state. After researching its past, I was surprised to discover that these crumbling walls, covered with graffiti, were originally designed by Lipót Baumhorn, the most influential Hungarian synagogue architect of the 20th century. Baumhorn…
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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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Inside the former Hotel Tiger : a 19th-Century Gem in Budapest
These photos capture the interior of the former Tigris Szálló (Hotel Tiger) located at Nádor utca 5, in the 5th district of Budapest. Designed by József Hild, one of the most recognized Hungarian architects of the 19th century, the Hotel Tiger was inaugurated in 1840. Regarded as one of the most elegant hotels, it hosted…
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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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Honvéd utca 18 : The House Where Teller Ede Spent His Childhood
I recently watched the film “Oppenheimer”. Since the character of Edward Teller (Teller Ede), played by Benny Safdie, had an important role in the film, I decided to visit the house in Budapest where he grew up. Teller Ede was born in 1908 at Kozma Ferenc utca 3, in the 5th district of Budapest. When…
Buildings Tell Tales 