Beginning in the mid-19th century, Hungary’s rapidly growing Jewish population ignited a literary shift: for the first time, Jewish writers in Hungary were publishing boldly in the Hungarian language. By 1900, Jews made up more than 23% of Budapest—an extraordinary proportion—and their voices reshaped the country’s literary landscape.

While the cultural Golden Age of fin-de-siècle Budapest is well known to Hungarian readers, it remains surprisingly under-the-radar for English-language travelers and book-lovers. Mapping Jewish Literary Budapest highlights this vibrant era, illuminating the explosion of Jewish literary production and the remarkable figures who powered it.