Budapest Shoes on the Danube Promenade

The Shoes on the Danube Bank in Budapest is a haunting tribute to the Jewish victims of World War II. Created by sculptor Gyula Pauer, this memorial consists of 60 pairs of iron shoes, symbolizing the shoes left behind on the riverbank as people were tragically shot into the Danube. This site serves as a powerful reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust.

A Tribute in Iron: The Story Behind the Shoes on the Danube

On the peaceful banks of the Danube in Budapest, an impactful memorial silently tells a story of tragedy and horror. The Shoes on the Danube Promenade, consisting of sixty pairs of iron shoes, stands as a somber tribute to the Jewish victims murdered by the Arrow Cross militiamen during the winter of 1944-1945. 

This installation, conceptualized by film director Can Togay and brought to life by sculptor Gyula Pauer, was unveiled in 2005 on the Pest side of the Danube River, close to the Hungarian Parliament Building.

The iron shoes, rusted and embedded into the concrete of the embankment, represent the actual footwear left behind by the victims, who were forced to remove them before being shot into the icy river. Shoes were a valuable commodity during World War II, often taken by the killers or traded on the black market. This horrific practice was not just an act of murder but also one of robbery and dehumanization. The memorial’s location along the Danube is particularly significant, as the river not only became a site of mass murder but also served as a silent witness to these atrocities, carrying away the bodies of the victims. 

The Impact and Legacy of the Memorial

The Shoes on the Danube is more than just a memorial; it’s a profound statement on human suffering and the resilience of the human beng. 

Each pair of shoes tells a unique story, reflecting the diversity of the victims – men, women, and children from all walks of life. The variety in the shoes’ designs – from women’s pumps to workmen’s boots, some standing upright, others fallen over as if hastily removed – evokes the individuality of each person who was senselessly murdered.

Visitors to the memorial often engage in acts of remembrance, such as lighting candles or leaving flowers inside the shoes. These gestures transform the Shoes on the Danube from a static monument into a living tribute, where the memories of the victims are continually honored. The memorial’s stark reality forces visitors to confront the individuality of each victim, turning them from mere statistics into real, once-living human beings whose lives were brutally cut short.

The Shoes on the Danube is a stark reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, but it also stands as a beacon of hope and resilience. It challenges us to remember the past, to honor the memory of those who suffered, and to commit ourselves to preventing such horrors from happening again.