history of budapest’s jewish population
In medieval Buda, the Jewish community first formed around the 12th century. Most of them were merchants, shop owners and craftsmen. The very first synagogue was built in Buda in the year 1307, but when the Jews were expelled from Buda in 1348 and in 1360, their synagogue was also destroyed. However, their return was allowed soon.
The Jews got their first important state privileges and proper representation at the beginning of the 15th century. In as early as 1446, wealthy Jews had partaken in King Mathias’s royal ceremonies, and the leader of the Jewish community in Buda was named spokesperson for all Jews in Hungary. The second Jewish synagogue was erected in 1461 in Hungary.
The situation turned for the worse in 1490: Jewish property was confiscated and the loans taken from them were left unpaid, this situation leading to unrest in an unfortunate period, just before Hungary was invaded by the Ottoman Empire. Following Turkish victories, Hungarian Jews escaped by the masses to today’s Western Hungary to avoid detention by Turkish forces; still, many of them could not escape deportation to Turkey.
Nearly two years later, they were allowed to return, and joined a roaring war economy fueled by Turkish expansion plans. They overgrew their former merchant roles by gaining positions in tax collecting roles and very heavily in long-term financing, especially those of the Sephardic and Ashkenazi congregations. They paid heavier taxes than usual to compensate for their higher capital gains.
During the course of the siege of Buda in 1686, the Jews took to the Turkish side. Only 500 of them have survived. The Buda Jewish District has been burned to rubble and the Torah scrolls were thrown on fires. The Hapsburg times mean a period of pogroms, deportations and general anti-Jewish legislation.
The Jews were expelled from Buda from 1686 until Maria Theresa’s son, Karl the 2nd has awarded privileges to them. In 1830, the first Hungarian Jewish Primary School has opened, and a new synagogue built in 1866. Following the union of Buda, Pest and Óbuda in 1873, the Jewish population of Budapest grew to some 200,000 and 125 synagogues were in operation.
The Jewish industrialists had a great part in the success of late 19th century Budapest. Many buildings bear the marks of the once flourishing Jewish trade and residential district (District VII) – watch out for telltale names such as Hauser and Fröhlich, bringing back the splendour of the times between the two world wars.
600,000 Hungarians fell victim to the brutalities of the Holocaust. Today, Budapest’s Jewish population numbers cca. 110,000, the most significant such community in Europe. Jewish culture flourishes, as do investment from Israel. Regular annual cultural events attract not only locals but an international crowd as well.
history of budapest’s jewish population Key Sections
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Dohány Street Synagogue 1074 Dohány utca 2 District 7. City Center Budapest Show me on map »
The Great Synagogue in Dohány street (Hungarian: Dohány utcai Zsinagóga, Hebrew: בית ×”×›× ×¡×ª הגדול של בודפשט) is the world’s second largest synagogue. It was built by the Neolog Jewish community of Budapest between 1854 and 1859; its architect was Ludwig Förster from Vienna, Austria. Parts of the interior were designed by Ferenc Feszl. The flat-ceiling interior can accommodate nearly 3,000: there are 1497 seats for men on the ground floor and 1472 for women on the two upper balconies. |
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Fröhlich Pastry Shop 1072 Dob utca 22 District 7. City center Budapest Show me on map » |
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Holocaust Memorial Centre 1094 Páva utca 39 District 9. Budapest Show me on map »
This Neolog Synagogue, inaugurated in 1924, is the work of architect Lipót Baumhorn, who designed no less than 22 synagogues in the territory of historical, pre-WWI Hungary. The temple functioned until 1944, when it was turned into an internment station. |
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Jewish Museum 1074 Dohány utca 2 District 7. City Center Budapest Show me on map »
The museum is a part of the Dohány street Synagogue, which is the second biggest synagogue in the world, second only to the Temple Emanuel in New York City. It has a vast collection of Judaica on display. Permanent exhibitions are: Devotional objects for Jewish celebrations; Everyday objects; History of the Hungarian Holocaust. |
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King's Hotel 1072 Nagydiófa utca District 7. City center Budapest Show me on map » |
