As a general rule, in Budapest, it is safe to assume that every building you enter was something else before its present function; with so many beautiful, but now empty buildings, it’s the option that makes the most sense for a city keen to preserve its lengthy and complex history. It is perhaps apt, then, that the most notable exception to this rule is the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum), a vast, neoclassical complex devoted solely to the history of Hungary. There is no better evidence of the love the Hungarians have for their history than this museum; with over 4000 exhibits, the main permanent exhibition spans the entirety of Hungarian history from the Arpads until the end of the Soviet occupation, via a fascinating array of artefacts, furniture and clothing, including instruments that belonged to Beethoven and Mozart and a small section devoted to the history of the museum itself. An audio-guide or guided tour might be a good option for those not fluent in Hungarian, since the translations of exhibits is frustratingly sporadic – but this is not for the faint of heart; you can easily spend two hours in this one exhibition alone.
This museum is a good place to start though; the Hungarians will be surprised and pleased by your intimate knowledge of their 31 failed revolutions, and you’ll be able to recognise key figures via the street names of the city. If your interest has been piqued and you wish to learn more, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Most famous is probably the Terror Museum at 60 Andrássy utca – a street you are likely to become intimately familiar with during your visit. The house itself was the main base of both the Nazi Arrow Cross movement and the Soviet Secret Police who followed them, and thus has itself been made into a monument.
As you wander through the museum, it will occur to you every so often that this was the actual location where the atrocities you are reading about were carried out, and there is something slightly unsettling about this, particularly in the labyrinthine cells that make up the final part of the exhibition. Again, there is a slight tendency to over-inform – the English is mainly provided in the form of A4 information sheets of dense type – but the constantly unsettling music, stylistic differences between each room and interesting mixture of genuine propaganda and reconstructed environments (from a Russian leader’s office to a maze made of fake lard) help create a sense of how much damage these two entities inflicted upon this country.
However, you cannot help but note that the Soviet section of the museum is much more comprehensive, if for the very good reason that they occupied the country for much longer. The Holocaust Memorial Center is therefore a good place to consider visiting, particularly since it gives a uniquely Hungarian aspect to this terrible time. The atmosphere is muted and deliberately uncomfortable, with the black and white walls evoking a prison-like feel, and whilst the klezmer music which plays every so often is an interesting choice, it certainly gives a sense of what was lost, particularly when combined with the real stories of people affected which are scattered throughout the museum. Obviously, this can be quite a harrowing visit, and you should bear that in mind before going.