Tűzkereszt Photo Story • Budapest Then and Now

Then and Now on Andrássy Avenue

Two wartime photographs from the corner of Bajza utca, revisited more than eighty years later.

Two private photographs preserve a quiet moment shared by a young Hungarian soldier and a woman on Andrássy Avenue in Budapest.

The photographs were taken at two locations only a few metres apart, close to the intersection of Andrássy út and Bajza utca. The street signs visible in the first image make the location identifiable, while the architecture and iron fences in the second photograph provide further points of comparison.

More than eight decades separate these wartime photographs from Budapest today. The people, uniforms, traffic and political world have disappeared, yet much of the physical setting remains unexpectedly familiar.

More than eighty years apart

The surviving façades, garden boundaries, iron fences and tree-lined character of the avenue still allow the old photographs to be connected with their exact locations.

At the Corner of Bajza utca

The first photograph was taken beside the intersection, where the historic street signs for Bajza utca and Andrássy út can be seen behind the couple.

A young Hungarian soldier and a woman photographed at the corner of Andrássy út and Bajza utca. The street signs behind them provide the decisive clue to the location. TŰZKERESZT Archive • Original Private Photograph

The immediate surroundings have naturally changed, but the alignment of the streets and the architectural character of the neighbourhood remain recognisable. Standing at approximately the same point today, it is still possible to understand how the photographer framed the original scene.

Open Location 1 in Google Street View →

The supplied Street View link opens archived Google imagery from November 2011.

A Few Metres Along the Avenue

The second photograph was made only a short distance away, with one of the avenue’s historic residential buildings visible in the background.

The couple photographed again a few metres from the first location. The building behind them now houses the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Hungary. Its façade, garden fence and the roadside trees make it possible to compare the wartime setting with the same view many decades later. TŰZKERESZT Archive • Original Private Photograph

Although details have been altered and the trees have grown or been replaced, the basic architectural composition remains strikingly similar. The building line, fence and proportions of the avenue still echo the setting captured in the original photograph.

This continuity transforms an unidentified private snapshot into something more: a small meeting between personal memory and the surviving city.

Open Location 2 in Google Street View →

The supplied Street View link opens archived Google imagery from January 2012.

The City as a Historical Source

Old private photographs often contain information that was never intentionally recorded. Street signs, gates, façades, trees and small architectural details can survive in the background and, decades later, reveal where a photograph was made.

In this case, the comparison shows both change and continuity. More than eighty years have passed since the couple stood beside Andrássy Avenue, but the surviving buildings still connect their moment with the Budapest of the present day.

Original photographs from the Tűzkereszt Collection.
Historical locations identified through architectural comparison and Google Street View.
© Tűzkereszt Archive. Reproduction or publication requires prior permission.

Tűzkereszt Digital Archive

A New Chapter for Tűzkereszt

A redesigned archive — the same commitment to preserving history.

Tűzkereszt has entered a new chapter.

The website has been rebuilt from the ground up to create a clearer, more accessible and visually consistent home for the archive.

The new design draws inspiration from historic photograph albums, military documents and private collections. Its restrained dark style allows the original material to remain at the centre of every page.

The purpose remains unchanged

To preserve and present fragments of Hungarian military history that might otherwise be forgotten.

A Reorganised Historical Archive

Hundreds of earlier posts have been transferred, reviewed and organised with improved labels and searchable archive categories.

Photographs, documents, military records, biographies and historical research can now be explored more easily by period, subject, branch of service and collection type.

• Original military photographs and private albums
• Biographical stories of officers, soldiers and civilians
• Military records, certificates and historical documents
• Medals, insignia and objects from private collections
• Research articles and documented archive discoveries

More Than a Gallery

The new Tűzkereszt is intended to be more than a gallery. Each page aims to place the surviving objects within their historical context.

Individual photographs are accompanied by identification notes, captions and background information. Larger archive stories bring together portraits, letters, official records and contemporary newspaper reports.

Particular attention has also been given to the presentation of original photographs. Images are displayed in a larger and more dignified format, while important photographs and details can be opened at full size for closer study.

The Stories Behind the Objects

Behind every photograph, document and medal is the story of an individual life, a military unit, a family or a historical event.

Some of these stories can be reconstructed through names, dates and military records. Others survive only as fragments: an unidentified portrait, a handwritten inscription or a group photograph whose original context has disappeared.

By presenting these objects together with the results of historical research, Tűzkereszt seeks to restore part of the memory that has been lost.

An Archive That Will Continue to Grow

Tűzkereszt will continue to develop as further material is documented, researched and added to the collection.

Corrections, additional information and contact from relatives, collectors and fellow researchers are always welcome.

Thank you for visiting the new Tűzkereszt.

Preserving photographs, documents and personal histories for future generations.

The Soldier's Quiet Companion

No matter how chaotic or dangerous a person may be, there remains a longing for calm, innocent affection—a feeling of trust and dependence that only a small animal can inspire. Throughout history, countless moments like this must have occurred: soldiers briefly setting aside the realities of war to reconnect with something gentle and profoundly human.

The Hungarian Légiérő (Air Force) soldier, his rifle slung across his back, is completely captivated by the kitten's soft fur and fragile innocence. It is a fleeting moment of tenderness that the photographer recognized as worthy of preservation. The image reminds us that a military unit, an army, is not merely a collection of uniforms and weapons, but a gathering of individuals carrying emotions, memories, and connections to a different world beyond the conflict.

All of this is distilled into a single photographic moment—a quiet expression of humanity amid chaos.

Soldier Unknown

Are these the eyes of a man who has already witnessed too much, or of someone whose future would force him to experience things beyond imagination? It is a question that can never truly be answered. Yet, every photograph invites us to wonder about the life behind the face.

Sometimes, remarkable things happen during historical research. On several occasions I have recognized photographs published by others, and at other times people have recognized details in images from my own collection. Through these unexpected encounters, anonymous photographs have regained their identities, and forgotten stories have once again been connected to a name, a place, and a moment in history.

This recently scanned glass negative may be another such opportunity. At present, the soldier's identity is unknown, and nothing is known of his life or military service. But perhaps someone, somewhere, will recognize his face, his uniform, or another small detail that can help restore his story.

If you recognize this soldier or have any information that might help identify him, I would be delighted to hear from you. Together, we may be able to return a name and a history to a face that has remained anonymous for more than eighty years.

Break by the Side of the Road

A group of soldiers takes a well-deserved rest along the roadside in a small village. Their bicycles are leaned against the roadside embankment as they pause to regain their strength. A curious dog wanders over to investigate the bicycles, while one of the soldiers seizes the opportunity to photograph his comrades and the officers gathered at the front of the group.

The place and the men have long since passed into history. Their names are unknown, and nothing remains to tell us where this quiet moment was captured. Like so many privately taken military photographs, the image survives without a caption, leaving only the scene itself to tell its story.

What was once a simple snapshot taken between the duties of military service has, over the decades, become a historical document. It preserves not a battle or a ceremony, but an ordinary moment of rest and companionship—precisely the kind of scene that so often reveals the human side of military life.

This single glass negative, preserved by chance from a forgotten photographic collection, now sees the light of day once again. More than eighty years after it was exposed, it continues to tell its quiet story to a new generation of those who share an interest in Hungarian military history.

 

One really perfect group-photograph 

The Heinkel He 111 was a German medium bomber designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in

the 1930s. Initially disguised as a civilian airliner to bypass the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, it became one of the most recognisable Luftwaffe bombers during World War II.

 The He 111 featured a distinctive glazed nose and twin-engine layout, and it was used extensively during the early years of the war, including in the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Britain. 

 Though it was gradually outclassed by faster Allied fighters and newer bombers, the He 111 continued to serve in various roles, including transport and torpedo bomber, until the end of the war. Its versatility and iconic design made it a symbol of German aerial warfare in the early 1940s. 

 " Ready for communication "

Signallers of the Royal Hungarian Army used standard German Feld-Hell machines, possibly with Hungarian legends/labels. The equipment was a heavy and sensitive and required well trained soldiers physics and skills to operate well. The round field-antenna on the radio transmitter was a well known sign of the signaller squad, and had to be concealed during field conditions for the enemy spotters.