The Shoes on the Danube- Budapest

Today I ditched the   walking tour, jumped on a trolley bus ( free if you are over 65 ) and visited the Shoes on the Danube Memorial.
 
On a personal note I was subjected to racism 
when I was mistaken for a Ukrainian. It was a chilling and most unpleasant experience. What makes it even more alarming is that tonight Italy has elected a member of the Far Right, the first since Mussolini to become Prime Minister of Italy.
 
Let’s hope it’s not the start of history repeating itself.
 
The shoe installation is in memory of the thousands who were shot by the extreme Right wing Arrow Cross Party in the 1940s .
 
They were pushed into the Danube, their shoes removed first, and the laces used to tie their hands together.
 
It’s one of the most moving memorials I have ever seen.
Many people had tears in their eyes and one man was openly weeping as he walked away.
 
The shoes are made of iron and are a replica of ones worn by men, women and children of the 1940s.( see extra)
 
They are destined to rust and in due course nothing will remain. Hence the poignant poster ( see extra).
“ The rules of life are stronger than the rule of man.”
Carl Lutz
 
Shoes on the Danube Bank was conceived by film director Can Togay and Hungarian sculptor Gyula Pauers and installed in 2005.
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