History
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From Ceramics to Mathematics: The Story of Vámház körút 5
Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to revisit Vámház körút 5 several times. This beautiful 19th-century apartment house, located in Ferencváros, the 9th district of Budapest, welcomes its visitors with the Latin word “SALVE” which can be read on the floor before entering the staircase. Behind a recently renovated facade, you…
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Szondi utca 64: One of the Greenest Courtyards I have seen in Budapest
This courtyard, one of the greenest I’ve seen in Budapest, is hidden at Szondi utca 64, in the 6th district. The property manager (társasházkezelő) of this house changed a few years ago, leading to many improvements, including this amazing courtyard that you wouldn’t expect hidden behind a crumbling old facade. This house was designed by…
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József körút 62: Hogwarts vibes in Budapest
Budapest’s 62 József utca conceals a stunning courtyard reminiscent of Hogwarts. It was esigned by renowned architect Samu Petz in 1894.
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Vanishing Architectural Details in Budapest
The “lomtalanítás” day in Budapest allows residents to discard items, leading to valuable finds for some and the loss of historic pieces for others.
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Sanctuary and Diplomacy: The Building of the Spanish Embassy in Budapest
A wealthy mansion in Budapest, once home to the Hatvany Deutsch family, became the Spanish Embassy in 1922. During WWII, it provided refuge for persecuted Jews, with the Ambassador aiding in saving over 5,200 lives.
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Csengery utca 15: The Guild of Barbers and Hairdressers in Budapest
The house located at Csengery utca 15 is a rather average-looking building from the second half of the 19th century. On Sunday, the door was open, so I sneaked in and discovered an interesting memorial plaque on the lobby wall. According to the plaque, this building was purchased in 1907 by the guild of Barbers…
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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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Frankel Leó út 49 : The Hidden Synagogue
The Frankel Leó Synagogue, also known as the Újlaki Synagogue, is tucked away in a courtyard in Budapest’s 2nd district. Designed by Sándor Fellner, it was originally surrounded by small houses and shops. The adjacent apartment building was constructed later, in 1928, and became home to members of the local Jewish community. In the early…
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An Interesting Facade from the Late 1920s in Józsefváros
As you might have noticed, I do love taking photos of unusual old facades. This particular one can be found at Práter utca 18, in Józsefváros, the 8th district of Budapest. The facade we see today is the work of Géza Taubel, who was assigned the task in 1929 to add an extra floor to a house…
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Aradi utca 57 : the Art Nouveau “Platschek-House”
The “Platschek-House” is an Art Nouveau residential building located at Aradi utca 57 in the 6th district of Budapest. It was designed by the Löffler brothers, Béla and Sándor, and built in 1908 for Vilmos Platschek, the wealthy owner of a garment factory employing 250 people, with a store on Károly körút where the clothing…
Buildings Tell Tales 