FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO200)
Recently I revisited a strange pace. Memento Park in Budapest, Hungary.
I remember when the iron curtain came down in 1990. When the people of the German Democratic Republic were allowed to leave the country without permission. Before that thousands used their summer vacation in Hungary to run away from the GDR. The Hungarian border police let the pass and our border patrol in Austria did the same. Amazing pictures!
Finally the pressure grew too high, Honecker resigned and the borders disappeared literally overnight. Wind of Change!
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5, 1/950 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5, 1/1250 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5, 1/1250 sec, ISO200)
And than the same happened everywhere in Eastern Europe. Borders disappeared and the people on both sides could start to explore the other side.
I went to Berlin in the winter right after the wall came down. I still have the pieces of concrete from the Berlin Wall that I knocked out with a hammer and a chisel. Later my job brought me to all parts of Eastern Europe and somehow the picture was the same everywhere. There was a new found freedom but the change came too fast for most of the people. It was difficult for them to adjust.
Western companies ruled and put the inefficient factories of Eastern Europe out of business. Unemployment, which was unknown before, was on the rise.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/680 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/950 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/4, 1/800 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/6.4, 1/900 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/3.6, 1/450 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/3.6, 1/420 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/10, 1/600 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/10, 1/420 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5.6, 1/950 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/2, 1/6000 sec, ISO200)
The sun was out but it was cold. The air full of fine dust from the coal-fires. Like it was in my childhood. Back then it was a normal thing, today it still is in many places in former Eastern Europe. There was some snow on the ground from the storm last week. The conditions fitted the location. You must visit this place during winter.
When the iron curtain came down most of the statues were destroyed. The people wanted to get rid of the reminders of communism. Of course there are still plenty of buildings of that era around everywhere which are just too big to be destroyed or too important like the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.
But it’s easy to bring a monument down. So if you want to see a statue of Lenin or Stalin outside of Russia you are about 30 years late. Except if you come this open air museum on the outskirts of Budapest. In case you are looking for the Stailn statue it’s the second picture below. Only his boots survived.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/5, 1/800 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/2.8, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
Beside the cash desk is a small shop where you can get Lenin badges and coffee mugs. Not much left from almost half a century of communism in Hungary.
The same is true for the little car in the image below. The famous Trabant. The little plastic care from Eastern Germany. Maybe the single best example that communism doesn’t work. In the 80s people had to wait for years to get one. They had to put some money down to get on a waiting list. No chance to choose a colour. After a couple of years they were proud owners or a car that was laughable compared to the Audis, BMW and Mercedes on the other side of the fence.
After the iron curtain came down 30 years ago those loud and stinky Trabants were everywhere. Now they are gone just like all the Lenins. Today you need to be lucky to see one or you have to visit a museum.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/300 sec, ISO200)