Budapest, Hungary

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Hungary formed a dual monarchy with Austria in 1867 and the Austria-Hungarian empire lasted until the end of World War I when it was dissolved. Both countries were allied with Germany during this war. In World War II, Hungary entered the war on the side of Germany. The Soviet Union defeated its armies and occupied the country toward the end of the war. In 1956 the Hungarians revolted against Communist rule in Budapest and the Soviets brutally suppressed it. Communist rule lasted until 1989 when the Soviet Union imploded. The last Russian soldiers finally left in 1991.

Budapest is the capital and largest city in Hungary. It is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, and the Danube River divides them. The latest census showed that there were over 1,700,000 people in Budapest. Today it is a thriving city and a tourist destination. Heroes' Monument is located in a large square in the center of the city. It is an impressive place and is surrounded by large buildings. When we were there, it was filled with tourists from different parts of the world.

The House of Terror museum is located in a huge gray building and contains material relevant to both the Nazi and Communist eras. There is a tank on the floor of the museum after you exit the place where tickets are purchased. Although the museum covers another floor and the basement, you are only allowed to take photos on the first floor. Aside from the tank, there is not much to photograph on this floor. The place is filled with videos and films, mostly in black and white, showing life during the Communist era. One film shows those condemned to die being led to the execution area and hung. At one point during our tour of the museum, we entered an elevator and watched a short film. At the end of the film, the door opened and we were in the basement. This is a forbidding place in which cells are located where "enemies of the state" were kept. At the end of the row of cells, which covers both sides of the basement, there is a gallows which was, no doubt, used quite often during that era. The employees who walk around and monitor the visitors remind me of aging party members who would welcome being addressed as Comrade. During the Communist years, the Soviets rigged loudspeakers throughout the villages and small towns so that they could broadcast their propaganda to the people. The same was true of the Czech Republic. No doubt, the politicians in the U.S. would love to do the same thing. With this setup, we couldn't just turn them off or change the channel and they would have a captive audience.

We like zoos so, one day, we spent a few hours at the Budapest Zoo. We've been to zoos in various parts of the world and rated this one as somewhat average. It was a great way to spend a day as zoos are always enjoyable.

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