Cipők a Duna-parton Audio Guide
Explore Cipők a Duna-parton with Stanza's GPS-triggered offline audio guide.
About the Tour
This poignant memorial in Budapest commemorates the Jewish victims who were shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II. It consists of 60 pairs of iron shoes from the 1940s, left on the bank as if their owners had just stepped out of them.
What you will hear
The Memorial Plaques
Located at three points along the memorial, these plaques provide the official dedication in Hungarian, English, and Hebrew. They are essential for understanding the specific dates of the atrocities (1944-1945) and the rescue efforts by individuals like Raoul Wallenberg.
The Hungarian Dedication
Three cast iron signs along the bank tell a story of winter atrocities in the three languages most connected to the victims.
The Symbolism of Abandonment
This area focuses on the sixty pairs of iron shoes themselves. By highlighting different styles—from children's tiny boots to men's work shoes—we illustrate that the victims came from all walks of life, ordered to remove their footwear before execution because it was a valuable commodity.
A Woman’s Heels
The delicate heels of these shoes reveal a chilling detail about why the victims were forced to undress before their execution.
Offerings of Remembrance
The memorial is a living site of mourning. Visitors frequently leave flowers, candles, and stones (a Jewish tradition of remembrance). This stop explores how the iron sculptures have become a focal point for modern reflection and the collective memory of Budapest.
Offerings of Memory
This site is a living memorial, where visitors leave stones, flowers, and candles as part of a long tradition of remembrance.
Reflection at the River's Edge
The final stop looks out over the Danube toward Buda Castle. It explains the grim reality of the 'river as a grave,' where victims were shot so the current would carry them away, leaving only these iron shoes as a permanent trace of their existence.
The River Grave
The freezing waters of the Danube served as a mass grave, carrying away the victims and leaving the shoes as their only trace.
Legacy on the Danube
Reflect on the global significance of this memorial, which contrasts the city's grand beauty with its darkest historical truths.
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