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7th August
2011
written by Justin
House of Terror

House of Terror

Each country that we’ve visited in continental Europe has had its own story to tell about the events surrounding and following WWII.  Hungary, being a territory on the front of the war, was successively occupied by the Nazis (in Hungary the party was known as the Arrow Cross) and then by the Russians.  Both of these groups were well known for the activities of their secret police organizations, and for the real horrors subjected on the population both during and after the war.

In Budapest, there is a museum called the House of Terror which chronicles the acts perpetrated on the Hungarian people by these two groups over the years.  The name is particularly appropriate, because the building that the museum is housed in was actually the headquarters of the secret police for BOTH of the occupying forces!  Inside is a really powerful museum, featuring tons of multimedia – especially videos – that really brings the stories to life.  We spent about 3 hours in the museum and only really watched about half the videos on display.  The most compelling and disturbing part of the museum was the basement which housed many interrogation rooms and still retains the character of what it must have been like while in use.  This museum is highly recommended if you visit Budapest.

2 Comments

  1. Hazel
    07/08/2011

    I found it especially powerful since I had just finished reading an amazing novel about a Hungarian Jew. It’s called The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. So check that out!

  2. Nigel Ball
    09/08/2011

    What gets to me is the proportion of human time in which such dark power has been the norm… I’m grateful to have live in golden time/ places.

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