NPR

Hungary's New Holocaust Museum Isn't Open Yet, But It's Already Causing Concern

The government-funded House of Fates, set to open this year, has been criticized by Holocaust survivors, scholars and others for presenting a distorted view of Hungary's role during the Holocaust.
The long-delayed opening of the House of Fates Holocaust museum in Budapest, whose entrance is marked by a Star of David, is expected this spring.

Nearly 75 years ago, Hungarian police forced Rozsa Heisler onto a train, along with thousands of other Hungarian Jews.

"We were crammed together for five days without food or water," she recalls. "We didn't know where we were going. Then we reached Auschwitz."

Heisler's mother and grandfather were murdered at the concentration camp. She and her sister, sent on to a labor camp, survived on leftover potato peels.

Now 93, the bright-eyed great-grandmother lives in a cozy apartment in Budapest, a city she proudly calls home. But she has no illusions about the role her country played decades before. "We didn't see any German soldiers until we reached Auschwitz," she says. "It was Hungarians who deported us."

She says Hungary has never been able to face its complicity. That's why she and many other Hungarian Jews are skeptical of a new Holocaust museum in development in Budapest, costing more than $23 million and financed by the Hungarian state. The building was finished in 2015, but unease over what it will present has delayed its opening

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Which Scientists Get Mentioned In The News? Mostly Ones With Anglo Names, Says Study
A new study finds that in news stories about scientific research, U.S. media were less likely to mention a scientist if they had an East Asian or African name, as compared to one with an Anglo name.
NPR2 min readWorld
Israel Strikes Iran, U.S. Official Says; Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' Is Here
Israel has launched a strike against Iran, a U.S. official tells NPR. Taylor Swift's highly anticipated "Tortured Poets Department" is here.
NPR2 min read
Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Over Sticky Problem. Blame It On — Yes — Soap
Accelerator pedals on the new Cybertrucks can get stuck, a potentially dangerous production flaw. The reason why they're so sticky is soap.

Related Books & Audiobooks