It was “a rare witness of the golden age of art nouveau in Budapest, where very few houses linked to such a factory still stand,” says architect Ana Perczel.

Today, nothing remains of the house, which was the subject of nationalisation laws of the communist era. After 1990, neither the owner - the District VII municipality - nor the inhabitants had the money to maintain it.

Tenants expelled, relocated
“The tenants came to my office on many occasions complaining about the poor state of the building,” says Zoltán Szabó, former mayor of the district. Two years ago, they were expelled and relocated after the building was allegedly sold to real estate developers. The building was finally torn down in June 2004.

The fate of the house on Holló street is not an isolated case. There is not a single street in District VII, known as Erzsébetváros, that has been spared by bulldozers at some point. Hammer drills and roaring construction are at work everywhere. A gorgeous two-story building, the eclectic-style residence just opposite the synagogue at Rumbach Sebestyén street, was brought down in the summer of 2002. More houses are planned for demolition on Kazinczy, Dob and Csányi streets ... to be replaced by car parks, office buildings and apartment blocks.

“The old Budapest is dying,” fears György Szegő, editor-in-chief of New Architecture Today. Erzsébetváros is “unique” in Anna Perczel’s opinion. “It is particularly rich in 19th and 20th century architecture and is a rare mix of eclectic, classicist and art nouveau styles,” says the architect, who rang the alarm bell with authorities as early as 1996. Her comprehensive study found no less than 97 buildings of historical value in the area. The Office of Historical Monuments then started the process of labelling the buildings “protected,” yet with insufficient staff and not enough power, the office was unable to complete its task.

“Only a few houses are protected. The entire zone is threatened, including the Mikveh, the only Jewish ritual bath left in Pest, on Kazinczy street,” Perczel says.

The old Jewish quarter
Before World War II, inner Erzsébetváros housed one-fifth of Budapest’s religious Jews. “They took part in the traditions of their faith not far from the synagogues where journalists, the workers’ movement, the theatre and the coffee-house life were clustered together,” wrote novelist György Konrád, who grew up in the dark and narrow streets of the neighbourhood.

Later, wealthier inhabitants were drawn to the Lipotváros district, or to mountainous villa areas on the greener edges of the city. But many also remained in Erzsébetváros, where in the second half of the 19th century residential apartment buildings were constructed to house the Jewish communities.

“It can be instinctively felt that here, at one time, a different sort of life existed. Many people were taken to the concentration camps, and on these very streets massacres occurred after the ghetto was surrounded by fences and guards in the fall of 1944,” says Konrád.

Other cities such as Prague and Berlin have preserved and restored their Jewish quarters. There, rehabilitation work has been done, but in most cases the original facades of historical houses have been kept in place.

The destruction of a cultural heritage
Hungarian film director Ferenc Moldoványi blames his own city for not pursuing the same policy. “What we are witnessing now is not only the slow disappearance of a historical area, but also the destruction of our culture, of our own identity. Europe should preserve its past,” Moldoványi says, “It should not be forgotten that Erzsébetváros was the very place where the ghetto stood. To erase these old buildings is an outrage to the memory of the dead, to all those Jews who were dragged from their houses to be shot on the Danube banks or died in the ghetto.”

A group of urban activists, however, are attempting to save Erzsébetváros from further damage. A few months ago, photographer and film director István Jávor set up an association called “Óvás!” which in Hungarian means both “protect!” and “protest!” He was joined by architects and public figures including Konrád, and other citizens such as young economist Péter Marinov.

“I am not from Erzsébetváros, and I have nothing against modern architecture. But I think it is appaling to damage the face of Budapest in such a way. The local authorities first claimed the house on Holló street was unhealthy and dangerous to live in. Then they acknowledged it was an obstacle to the re-shaping of the area which will be called the ‘Madách passage’.”

Appeal launched
In June, Óvás! launched an appeal to the National Office for Cultural Heritage (NOCH), claiming it was responsible for the protection of such sites under a 2001 law. The civic association achieved a small victory when the office issued a temporary order for the district. This meant no destruction or building works will be allowed for one year within the zone bordered by Károly körút, Dohány, Klauzál, Csányi and Király streets. That perimeter does not cover all of District VII, but roughly the old Jewish quarter.

“This will give us time to plan future attempts to save the zone. Unfortunately this protection order does not apply to destruction and development permits that had already been signed prior to June,” says Marinov.

And so the bulldozers go on with their work. In early September, another beautiful old house was pulled down, leaving a gaping wound on Kazinczy street.

ÓVÁS!, the city protection interest group attempted to award, ironically, the “Bulldozer” prize to those pulling down protected buildings.

Tamás Fejerdy, deputychairman of the NOCH, acknowledges that it took some time for public authorities to get actively involved in the protection of national treasures. “We started the process in 2002. Not so long ago, Hungarians hardly thought about it, while today there is a growing awareness that we should take care of our public heritage,” he says.

Meanwhile, there is little the office can do regarding the 10 to 20 old buildings scheduled for destruction in coming months, given that permits have already been issued. It is difficult for the state to challenge such contracts concluded under civil law, although the office is working to speed up protection procedures.

There are a total 290 sites - 270 buildings and 20 empty lots of land. Out of these, 39 are already considered historical buildings and are therefore protected.

Process underway
“We are currently studying whether to classify another 60 as cultural heritage sites, and should finish that task by Dec. 15,” says Fejerdy, “The Ministry of Culture will look at the matter mid-October and could also decide to classify the whole area as protected. But in order to be efficient, protection should also be guaranteed at a local level.” Hungarian law gives local authorities the competence to classify a building as “historical” at their own discretion, he says, while his office has no power to compel them to do so.

An issue for post-communist societies
The issue shows the difficulties faced by a post-communist society. “After 1989, the newly elected parliament wanted to break away from the rule of a centralising state and transferred powers to local municipalities. As a result, they do what they want with their real estate, and are free to manage their local budget as they please. The City of Budapest is also helpless as it cannot even redistribute money from the wealthier local councils to the poorer ones,” says Konrád.

Yet, he is optimistic and hopes the old Jewish Budapest will survive, like in Berlin, where artists helped preserve the area.

“Bohemian, alternative arts and fashion movements are usually drawn to these Jewish quarters” he adds, outlining the challenge faced by Budapest. “We should create a reconstructed quarter, in which those living feel at home, while also giving quiet respect in remembrance to the lost souls.”