Sunday, April 5, 2015

Glistening Leaves and Tales of Sorrow

There grows a tree in the heart of Budapest, capital city of Hungary, that has leaves that glisten brightest under the sun but they carry on them the heavy weight of history. This tree stands as a memorial to Jewish Holocaust victims in the Dohány Street Synagogue.

On my maiden visit to Budapest, I was totally awestruck by the beautiful architecture of the Dohány Street Synagogue and the tales of sorrow and struggle ladden in its history.


The Dohány Street Synagogue also known as The Great Synagogue or Tabakgasse Synagogue, is a historical building in Budapest and is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world (after Temple Israel in New York). The synagogue was built in 1850 ' s  in the the style of a basilica and consists of the Great Synagogue, the Heroes' Temple, the graveyard, the Memorial and the Jewish Museum.


During the Holocaust, Hungarian Jews took shelter in this synagogue and in the courtyard of the synagogue, there are mass graves of thousands of Jews.

Dohány Synagogue

Interiors of the Synagogue


 The Holocaust Memorial in the synagogue, also known as the Emanuel Tree, is a weeping willow tree  made of  granite and steel designed by Imre Vagra, with the names of Hungarian Jews killed during the Holocaust inscribed on each leaf. 
Weeping Willow Tree!


Graves of Holocaust victims in the Synagogue

The weeping willow is an awe inspiring magnificent structure but its each leaf is associated with the sad story of a person whose aspirations were cut short by some people driven by a disillusioned man.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this post! Very nice! Thanks for sharing...

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dawn

Honey said...

The weeping willow tree is wonderful sight to behold... I wish I can visit Budapest someday. Thanks for sharing

Honey said...

The weeping willow tree is a wonderful sight. I wish I can visit Budapest someday. Thanks for sharing

Honey said...

The weeping willow tree is wonderful sight. I wish I can visit budapest someday. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

The weeping willow reminds me of Whomping Willow in Harry Potter. But of course it's beautiful instead of violent!

Sim @ SimsLife.co.uk said...

Oh wow, such beautiful images! I have always wanted to visit Budapest - simply stunning! Sim x

Pooja Kawatra said...

Beautiful post ! Entire post looks so scenic, hope to visit this place soon.

I am Sheing said...

The Weeping Willow really caught my attention. Very dramatic

Danessa Foo said...

Such a lovely post. Thanks for sharing beautiful scenes from the synagogues.

oyhz said...

Though poignant, the Holocaust Memorial looks amazing..

Unknown said...

The Synagogue is actually very beautiful inside. The weeping willow is a sad but very beautifully made reminder of a past we all want to forget.

cre8tone said...

Such amazingly stunning views!~ I hope I can visit there!

Franc said...

The weeping willow is definitely a great attraction to visit. It also a tribute to all those sad souls at the Holocaust.

Little Clouds of Thought said...

I would love to visit Budapest one day. The weeping willow tree sure makes an impression

Eliz Frank said...

What a moving set of photos and script. Budapest is such a beautiful place to visit; so much to see and do.

Daphne Benosa said...

This is why I'd love to go to Europe. It's rich in culture and the architecture is truly magnificent! :)

Daphne Benosa said...

This is why I'd love to go to Europe! It's rich in culture and the architecture is magnificent! :)

elanakhong said...

So beautiful places. Thanks for sharing.

Amanda Love said...

You got some beautiful photos. I've never been to Budapest but from just watching your photos I think I need to add it to my bucket list.