Jewish Hungary & Budapest

Hungary’s capital since 1873, Budapest, united the towns of Buda—Obuda and Pest—each with its own Jewish community and history. Today, Budapest has one of Eastern Europe’s largest Jewish communities with a population of 80,000.

Until the second half of the 19th century, Budapest was a divided city with some Jews living in Obuda or “Old Buda” since the 15th century and others living in Pest throughout the 16th century.

Jewish merchants and craftsmen, particularly linen weavers and silversmiths, were well-known in Obuda—in fact, it was the only city in the Hapsburg Empire where Jews were free to carry out certain trades.

Although Jews were initially expelled from Pest after the Austrian conquest in 1686, by 1783, Emperor Joseph II allowed Jews to settle in Pest, as long as they paid a “tolerance tax” to the town. Still, it wasn’t until 1840 that limitations of Jewish settlement were totally repealed. Pest’s first synagogue and burial plot was inaugurated in 1787; its first Jewish school in 1814, and its first teacher’s college in 1859. Jewish commerce and trade grew and Jews began acquiring property and factories.

With the unification of Budapest in 1873, the Jewish community grew and prospered, playing a major role in Hungary’s industrial boom. The Hapsburgs recognized their achievements and 350 Jewish families were given noble titles as a result. Jews in Budapest also became active in the arts, and were commissioned to make both statues and monument. Before World War II, Budapest’s population exceeded 200,000 and the city boasted 125 synagogues.

During the Nazi Occupation, the Hungarian Fascist Arrow Cross Party came to power and carried out violent attacks again the Jews, many of whom were shot and thrown into the Danube River. Ten of thousands of Jews died on the death marches from Budapest to Austria. By the end of December 1944, 70,000 Jews lived in the central ghetto of Budapest, and tens of thousands in the international ghetto or protected houses.

The Soviets liberated the international ghetto on January 16, 1945 and the central ghetto two days later—releasing a total of 94,000 Jews. Another 20,000 came out of hiding, and another 20,000 returned from labor camps. Nearly 50 percent of Budapest’s Jewish population died during the Holocaust. (It should be noted that starting in July 1944, Raoul Wallenberg, as secretary of the Swedish foreign ministry, issued thousands of Swedish identity documents to Jews to protect them from Nazi deportation, and is credited with saving as many as 100,000 lives).

Today, Budapest’s Jewish population in about 80 percent Reform and Conservative, and the remainder are Orthodox. Budapest hosts the largest synagogue in Europe on Dohany Street , but it is only one of 26 temples in the city. Three new Jewish schools, of varying religious bent, as well as two small yeshivas, have also opened. The Rabbinical Seminary of Budapest has been expanded into a Jewish university, training both teachers and social workers. Budapest’s Jewish community has its own bi-weekly publication, Ul Elet, and hosts a Jewish summer cultural festival.

On April 16, 2005, Holocaust Memorial Day in Hungary, the prime minister Ferenc Gyursany, inaugurated a memorial to the Holocaust victims of Budapest. Current Jewish life centers around the old Jewish community in the Pest section of Budapest. Here you will find the major Hungarian and international communal organizations; several synagogues, the Jewish Museum, kosher restaurants, a kosher wine merchant and three Jewish schools, as well as an Orthodox mikvah.

Here are some examples of the customized luxury tours that European Jewish Tours is organizing in and around Hungary and Budapest.

Jewish Budapest: Half-day and Full-day Tours

European Jewish Tours walking and driving tours include a visit to the famous Dohány street Synagogue with the Emmanuel Memorial in the Raul Wallenberg Garden and the Jewish Museum. Then you will walk around the old Jewish Ghetto, where you will see the Kazinczy Street Orthodox Synagogue , the Memorial to Charles Lutz, abandoned temples, kosher butchers, restaurants, a bakery, a salami maker, a wine shop. You can have coffee and cake in a kosher patisserie, if you would like.

Outside the Jewish district there are still a lot to see: a unique Holocaust Memorial on the bank of the river, in the Buda Castle district, a Medieval Synagogue; in the Terror House an exhibition on the Holocaust; a new Holocaust Memorial Centre; as well as several Jewish Cemeteries and little museums which are in connection with famous Hungarian Jewish people (e.g. beautiful stain glass windows, architects of Art-Nouveau buildings, etc).

In the afternoon, I suggest that you visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest which has one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the world, including one of the 12 extant paintings by Leonardo da Vinci

“Best of Budapest” driving tour:

City highlights on this tour include: First you will drive up to the top of the Gellért Hill to see the most beautiful panorama of the city. Then you will walk to the Statue of Liberty and around the Citadel. Still on Buda-side of the city, you will stop at the Cave church and the Gellért Bath. You will see the beautiful villas and the Turkish Rudas Bath on the Gellért Hill.

Then you will drive across the Elisabeth Bridge and on Pest side you can see the boulevards and avenues, as well as the remarkable buildings from the 19th century, including Andrássy Avenue, where you will see the Opera House , the House of Terror, Octogon square, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery.

You will then walk around Heroes' Square to greet the Hungarian chieftains and kings. We continue our walk in the City Park, visiting the courtyard of the Vajdahunyad Castle, looking into the Széchenyi Bath, Zoo Gardens. Coming back to the city, you will see and visit St. Stephen’s Basilica. The next stop is at the Parliament, there is a short walk here too, around the monuments in front of the building and on Liberty square. We will then cross the Chain Bridge to the Buda side of the city and up to the Castle district. You will see the Royal Palace from outside and we visit the Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion. From here you can take pictures of the river and the Chain Bridge.

The Hidden Treasures and Museums of Budapest
(a half-day private tour)

In downtown Pest, your guide will walk with you along the Danube river bank, and will explain how the sights along the river tell you the entire history of this area. You will see the beautifully restored concert hall where Liszt, Wagner, Bartok gave many concerts. Depending on your interests, you will visit the castle district, including the area with the Alexander Palace, royal courtyards, gardens and medieval houses, Castle district: walking around the Royal Palace , Alexander Palace, visit in the National Gallery, old ruins, medieval houses, royal courtyards, gardens; both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Nouveau Museum are especially noteworthy, but your guide will be more than happy to show you the area’s hidden, non-touristy treasures as well.

And for those of you who wish to discover the Hungarian countryside and the Danube region, we invite you to take our tour of the Danube Bend and its unique towns of Szentendre and Visegrad.

Come discover Szentendre , this beautiful artists' village just 20 kms north of Budapest! You will drive north along the river, passing the Ancient Roman Ruins. This flagship town of the Danube Bend is surrounded by stunning nature, as well as lovely shops and art galleries. Its colorful Baroque buildings, cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways leading to hilltop churches delight visitors from all over. On your tour: a visit to the Marzipan Museum, where ‘statues’ of Hungary’s former rulers greet you with a sweet smile, as well as the Hungarian National Wine Museum, located in an ancient wine cellar.

Szentendre is also the center of the Serb community in Hungary. Other sites to visit include the Szanto Jewish Memorial House, as well as the Margit Kovacs Museum , whose extensive collection of ceramic works features a unique synthesis of folk and Byzantine motifs.

In Visegrad, you will visit the charming tiny medieval town, the famous excavated Renaissance Palace of King Matthias and drive up to the most beautiful look out place of the Danube Bend, the Visegrad Castle.