Remembering the Holocaust: Shoes on the Danube Bank

Located near the Parliament, Budapest's most poignant memorial is the 'Shoes on the Danube Bank.' This poignant monument remembers the victims of the Holocaust who were marched to the riverbank by the Arrow Cross militiamen, a Hungarian fascist organization, during World War II on a dark winter’s day. They were ordered to remove their shoes and were shot before falling into the river beneath. The monument consists of 60 pairs of bronze shoes of various styles and sizes, representing the diverse group of people who were murdered. It was created by sculptor Gyula Pauer and filmmaker Can Togay and was inaugurated in 2005. Visitors often leave flowers, candles, and other tributes at the site to pay their respects – Budapest, Hungary