Dear Pip, It is from a cold, dark place that I write you this postcard. A place thatβ¦. It is from a cold, dark place that I write you this postcard.
A place that reminds me of a horrific time in history β a time that should never be forgotten. Deliberately cast in the style of footwear worn in the s, the shoes are in different sizes, representing the men, women, and children to whom this memorial is a tribute. They were shot by members of the Hungarian fascist and anti-Semitic organisation, the Arrow Cross Party. The Jewish victims, standing on the riverbank, were forced to remove their shoes and face their executioner. The Arrow Cross militiamen then shot them, so they tumbled into the river.
The river would then carry their bodies away, saving the killers from having the hard labour of digging graves. The victims were often forced to remove their shoes because shoes were a valuable commodity that the executioners could sell. It reflects the , Hungarian Jews who died during World War 2, and the memorial was created 60 years after the war.
The shoe sculptures lie scattered and abandoned on the bank of the Danube River on the Pest side of Budapest, between two well-known landmarks: the Chain Bridge and the Parliament Building. The memorial is unique, unlike anything I have ever seen. I found it poignant and haunting, even with all the tourists around, a place for reflection and contemplation.
Someone had put a white carnation into two of the shoes. I like to think it was the wedding couple being photographed nearby.
