“Do you have any idea why it was so important to change the old gateway to a new one?” asks a voice nearby. I am standing before the Salg\u00f3tarj\u00e1ni Street Jewish Cemetery. It is a place of history and memory. The Salg\u00f3tarj\u00e1ni Street Jewish Cemetery opened in 1874. It stands as the oldest remaining Jewish cemetery on the Pest side.
When this cemetery was created it was the third Jewish cemetery. The cemeteries of Vaci and Lehel Streets came before it. Buildings have since been erected where those cemeteries stood.
The entrance gate was designed by B\u00e9la Lajta. It was completed in 1908. From the early 20th century only elite Jewish families of Pest were buried here. Another gate was constructed by the Chevra Kadisha. This cemetery is unique in Europe. Prominent personalities are buried here. Great artists designed the buildings and tombs. B\u00e9la Lajta G\u00e9za Mar\u00f3ti and Alfr\u00e9d Haj\u00f3s were among them. Ign\u00e1c Alp\u00e1r S\u00e1ndor Fellner Zsigmond Quittner and K\u00e1lm\u00e1n Gerster also contributed.
There are about 150 crypts. One hundred and twenty six of them were built by one of the side walls. When they were built there were no other tombstones next to them. B\u00e9la Lajta designed the entrance gate. He also designed the ceremonial building. Lajta created eleven memorials in the garden. He learned from \u00d6d\u00f6n Lechner. Lechner was the master of Secessionist style.
Here you can find simple tombstones. You can also see artistic creations. Black granite obelisks sculptures and mausoleums mark the graves. The Salg\u00f3tarj\u00e1ni Street Jewish Cemetery is an architectural heritage. There is a possibility that the cemetery will join the world heritage sites after renovation.
Behind the entrance gate is the ceremonial building. B\u00e9la Lajta designed it. It was completed in 1908. The dome above is now missing. The two ornate-clad gates are also gone. The white marmor decorations are no longer there. The gigantic copper menorahs have disappeared. It is possible to imagine its past beauty. The original building will be rebuilt in the near future.
The ceremonial and gateway building references a Jewish memorial. It is an important one from the Holy Land. Their pattern came from Rachel’s grave. Rachel was Jacob’s wife and Joseph’s mother. Her grave is near Bethlehem.
The cemetery closed after World War Two in 1945. Many victims who died in Ghettos were buried here. After closing the cemetery was abandoned. Damages mark the stones. Overgrowth of plants creates a mystic atmosphere. It gives a unique beauty.
Nobody knows exactly how many people are buried here. The management is measuring tomb by tomb to find out.
The Sv\u00e1b’s sons Gyula and S\u00e1ndor were wealthy landowners. They had good connections with Hungarian elite. B\u00e9la Lajta designed unique Hebrew letters. He did it especially for this piece. Two birds are on the memorial. They are probably eagles. The eagles hold their heads down. Their wings are together as they were sad.
Dr. Emil Guttmann was a wholesaler. He was a co-owner of the Guttmann and Wahl Company. His tombstone has a geometric basic form. Lion heads are on the two sides of the memorial.
M\u00f3r Wahrmann was the first Jewish member of Parliament. His daughter built the mausoleum for him. Zsigmond Quittner was also involved in the design work. You can see elements from ancient Greek and Renaissance architecture.
Wahrmann delivered a parliamentary speech in 1882. It concerned Jewish immigration. This led to a duel with Gy\u0151z\u0151 Ist\u00f3czy. Ist\u00f3czy was an antisemitic member of parliament. Nobody was injured in the duel.
One tombstone is a copy of the Anker House entrance gate. The Anker House was in De\u00e1k t\u00e9r. An architect used this tomb as a model for the gate.
The Salg\u00f3tarj\u00e1ni Street Jewish Cemetery is a place of remembrance. It connects us to the past. Its stones tell silent stories.