Hello Hello!
Everyday I walk from the Metro station to my office and thanks to European windy streets, I am able to take a million different routes and I take full advantage of that in the morning. (it could also be that I haven't had enough coffee and so I sort of walk in the general direction, and try to stay on course....which sometimes doesn't work as well). This morning my route took me past the Budapest Jail (I knew it was the Jail because J told me so on my first 'guided' tour of my immediate work surroundings). She even said that it is common to hear hooting and hollering from the prisoners- on occasion. Now, I have never been to jail (parental point!), nor have I ever really been to, or accessed, or seen up close any form of fully functioning jail. This one is 6 floors and takes up a full city block. The point is, it's cool. Max told me that in Europe it is common to have large, fully operational jails in the city centres....I guess we north American's take advantage of all the space we have....or I am totally ignorant of any jails located in Urban areas of Canada (which is completely possible).
Anyway, back on track...this morning, they were transporting prisoners from the jail. It was pretty cool as they had a barricade over the street (perhaps to deter prisoners who want to 'wander off'). There were also about 4 officers standing and waiting...... Then I took a closer look at the jail, and noticed a gold plaque. It was a commemoration for something. When I got to work I googled it and well like almost everything in Europe, it has a history. The jail was used for some very unpleasant times in Hungary's past, including the site of torture and interrogation during the communist era. I also found out that the area where the jail is located, in Nagy Imre ter is also the headquarters of a lot of the Budapest crime and justice services. Nagy Imre (remember him from the parliament?), well, in the building across from the ter, is where he was sentenced to death in 1958 for the wrong doing committed during the uprising of 1956. This uprising occurred in Budapest, and was directed towards the communist regime that was ruling the country (He was one of the dissidents in the uprising...leading the anti-communist groups).
This little segway also very conveniently leads right into the Museum of Terror post, which is the museum that Max and I visited when he was here! The Museum of Terror is also a jail, but it not operating (as it is a museum). It presents the history of the building (that was first used by the Natzi's (the Arrow Cross party) for holding, torturing and killing people, and then by the Communist regime, to well, achieve the same ends).
There was a short 'intermediate' period in between, where the jail was used as a 'club house' headquarters for the communist youth groups as well. In giving the history of the building, they also present the history of the 50 years of occupations, the life and culture at the time. There were three floors. and a basement 'cellar' where all the torture chambers were located. You first have to make your way around the second floor, where there is an exhibition of the occupations of the Natzi's and then the Soviets. It also give a coles notes version of 20th century Hungarian military history. There was also a section with old propaganda...which I thought was really cool. Then you make your way to a very slow elevator down to the basement, while watching a movie about the torture cells. It was very sombre, dark, and cold. The third floor was not open to the public and the first floor is the main lobby with a couple of things to see (this is also the only floor you are allowed to take pictures in).
The picture on the right is what you see as soon as you walk into the main part of the Museum. The faces on the wall are of the people who were killed in the prison, a grim reminder of the victims of the prison.... The tank in the middle of the atrium is a Soviet T-54 tank, "symbolizing the looming threat of violence that helped keep both regimes in power." (RS).
Sorry no more photos (you weren't allowed to :()).There was a short 'intermediate' period in between, where the jail was used as a 'club house' headquarters for the communist youth groups as well. In giving the history of the building, they also present the history of the 50 years of occupations, the life and culture at the time. There were three floors. and a basement 'cellar' where all the torture chambers were located. You first have to make your way around the second floor, where there is an exhibition of the occupations of the Natzi's and then the Soviets. It also give a coles notes version of 20th century Hungarian military history. There was also a section with old propaganda...which I thought was really cool. Then you make your way to a very slow elevator down to the basement, while watching a movie about the torture cells. It was very sombre, dark, and cold. The third floor was not open to the public and the first floor is the main lobby with a couple of things to see (this is also the only floor you are allowed to take pictures in).
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