The Courtyard at Király Street 15: What the Walls of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter Conceal
In Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, on Király Street (Király utca), at the ordinary entrance gate of a residential building, there is a small opening. Peering through it reveals a stone wall separating two inner courtyards. This is a reconstruction of a section of the Budapest ghetto wall, where the original wall stood in the winter of 1944.
Most passersby on the street do not stop there, unaware they are walking through Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. Budapest’s seventh district is now one of Europe’s bustling entertainment centers, and its courtyards are filled with cafes and bars. However, those who know how to read the streets discover that almost every corner of the district tells two stories: one of a thriving Jewish community, and one of the winter when it was nearly erased.
Three Communities, Three Synagogues in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter
In 1869, Hungarian Jewry split into three streams, and within a few decades, each stream built its own synagogue in the same district. The result is known today as the “Synagogue Triangle.” The synagogue on Dohány Street, completed in 1859, is the largest in Europe, with about 3,000 seats. It served the Neolog community, which sought to integrate into Hungarian society. The synagogue on Rumbach Street, built in 1872, served the “Status Quo” community: those who saw Dohány as too modern but did not want to join the Orthodox. It was designed by the Viennese architect Otto Wagner, and it is his only building in Hungary. The third vertex is the Orthodox synagogue on Kazinczy Street, built between 1912-1913 in the Hungarian Art Nouveau style. Unlike the other two, it is surrounded by thick stone walls and faces inward, to a courtyard where a study house, mikveh, and community institutions stood and still stand. Walking between the three buildings takes only a few minutes. The architectural and conceptual differences reflect a division that accompanied Hungarian Jewry until the Holocaust.
The House Where Herzl Was Born Stood in the Shadow of the Great Synagogue
In 1860, a year after the inauguration of the Dohány Synagogue, Theodor Herzl was born in a nearby house. The house itself was later demolished, and today the Hungarian Jewish Museum stands in its place, adjacent to the synagogue. According to Hungarian sources, Herzl celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the Dohány Synagogue. A city plaque marks his birthplace, and many Israeli visitors pass by without noticing.
70,000 People in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter Ghetto
On November 29, 1944, the Hungarian government declared the establishment of a ghetto in the district. Within weeks, about 70,000 Jews were crammed into an area of approximately 0.26 square kilometers, surrounded by a high fence and guards. The boundaries ran along Király, Kertész, Dohány Streets, and Károly Avenue. The ghetto existed for only about seven weeks, until its liberation by the Red Army in mid-January 1945. In that short time, thousands died from hunger, cold, and disease. Some were buried in the courtyard of the Dohány Synagogue because there was no way to remove the dead from the ghetto. Today, the courtyard houses the “Tree of Life”: a weeping willow made of metal, each leaf bearing the name of a victim. The sculpture was created by Imre Varga in 1991, funded by a foundation established by actor Tony Curtis in memory of his father, a Hungarian native. “About 70,000 Jews, a quarter square kilometer, about seven weeks” — the documented figures on the Budapest ghetto, winter 1944-1945.
Two Diplomats and Brass Plaques in the Pavement: The Rescuers Remembered by the District
On Dob Street (Dob utca), not far from Gozsdu Courtyard, stands a semi-hidden monument among trees. It is dedicated to Carl Lutz, the Swiss vice-consul in Budapest, who issued protective letters and shelters, saving tens of thousands of Jews between 1942 and 1945. In the courtyard of the Dohány Synagogue is also the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, named after the Swedish diplomat who acted during those months. Scattered throughout the district are “Stumbling Stones”: small brass plaques in the pavement, in front of houses from which Jewish residents were taken, with a name, birth year, and year of deportation. They are visible only to those who look down.
The Same Courtyards, Different Lives
After the war, and especially during the communist era, the district was neglected. Wealthy families left, and entire buildings were left empty. In the 2000s, the abandoned buildings turned into “ruin pubs” (romkocsma), and the district became an international entertainment hub. Gozsdu Courtyard (Gozsdu udvar), a series of seven connected courtyards built between 1901 and 1904 between Király and Dob Streets, is the most prominent example: a former Jewish commercial passage turned into a restaurant boulevard. But the district has not only become an entertainment area. The Kazinczy Synagogue is still active today, and within its complex operate a kosher restaurant and grocery store. On Sabbaths and holidays, the synagogue fills with visitors from Israel and the United States, and along the street, ultra-Orthodox institutions operate. The Dohány Synagogue also holds prayers on Sabbaths and holidays.
How to See the District and Not Just Pass Through It
You can walk through the district alone, with a map, and see the three synagogues from the outside. But most of the details in this article are behind gates, in inner courtyards, and in the pavement, and are hard to find without someone who knows them. Those who want to hear the stories in Hebrew will find tours in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest in Hebrew guidance, passing between synagogues, ghetto remnants, monuments, and courtyards. There are also English tours by the community and local guides. In any case, it is advisable to reserve at least half a day for the district and not squeeze it between two other attractions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glOhg13dm4M
Before You Go: A Few Things to Know
- The Dohány Synagogue is closed to visitors on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Opening hours vary by season, and it is recommended to check the official website before visiting.
- The Rumbach Synagogue is open to visitors only on limited days, and inside it hosts an exhibition of the Jewish Museum.
- Kosher: In the Kazinczy complex and its surroundings, there are several kosher restaurants. It is advisable to verify supervision and operating hours in advance, especially on Fridays.
- Shabbat: Those staying for Shabbat in the district will find prayers at Kazinczy (Orthodox) and Dohány (Neolog). Shabbat entry times in Budapest are available on the Shabbat Times Worldwide page.
- The Ghetto Wall at Király Street 15
