Holocaust Memorial Center, Budapest

Housed in a striking, fortress-like building, the superb Memorial Center opened in 2004, with the mission of presenting and preserving a permanent history of the Holocaust, and the role that the Hungarian people played in this part of World War II history, which saw over 500,000 Jews killed by the Nazis and 50,000 Roma executed during the oppression.

The Center does a careful, persistent job of drawing visitors into the lives of individuals, as well as the more impersonal political and legal processes that were involved. The narrative is compelling, illustrated with a multitude of documents, as well as audio-visual and print narratives and resources.

Physically, you are taken on a journey that descents and ascends through the overall story, culminating in a reconstructed synagogue where some time to reflect and be aware of the empty chairs is an appropriate endpoint.

The overall presentation provides an excellent context for how this process, and its bureaucratic implementation, took place not only in Hungary but more broadly. This institution tells the story well, and is worth the time and effort to visit.