These shoes are a memorial. They remember the people who were killed here during World War II. Most of them were Jewish. In 1944 and 1945, they were taken to the edge of the Danube River by members of the Arrow Cross Party. They were ordered to take off their shoes.
Then, they were shot, and their bodies fell into the river. Shoes were valuable at the time, so they were taken before the people were killed.
The memorial was created in 2005. It features 60 pairs of iron shoes. They represent the men, women, and children who died here. Each pair is different—just like the people they stand for. It’s a powerful reminder of a terrible moment in history. And it asks us to remember, so it never happens again. =NOT AVAILABLE IN JAPAN=