The House of Terror is no amusement park; it is a museum recalling totalitarian rule in Budapest. The building was originally used to direct the oppression of the populace by the Hungarian fascists who collaborated with the Nazis and then by the Nazis directly. Without skipping a beat, when the Soviets took over, they used the same facility - terrifying and controlling by spying, torturing, murdering, and deportations to the Gulag. These years of the 20th century saw totalitarianism dominate much of Europe. The experience is made very personal as local victims give poignant personal testimony in video clips with English sub-titles. It wasn't until the 1980's that individual liberties returned as Soviet troops withdrew and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Hungarians give honor to Ronald Reagan for his steadfast resolve leading to the end of terror in their lives. How fortunate we are to be Americans!
Photos
1. Wall of photos of faces of victims
2. Ronald Reagan statue near American Embassy
3. Files on individual citizens under surveillance
4. Video of Nazi occupation
After bearing witness to the terror and atrocities of these totalitarian regimes - the Nazis and the Soviet Communists - we participated in kabbalat services at the Great Synagogue of Budapest.
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