HOUSE NUMBER 48

One of the iconic buildings of the communist era known as the AVH Villa (AVH is short for Államvédelmi Hatóság, which translates as State Protection Agency) or as it has also been known, "The Owlery" can be found at 48 Eötvös street in District 12, Budapest. The overweathered structure is owned by the municipality and the building's various spaces have been given quite different functions. Today, regular tenants occupy the apartments on the ground floor as well as the ones on the upper floor.

Main Entrance

The building still has the original doors and windows. The peephole protected by screen is an interesting element of the main entrance.

Sketch by Gergely Barcza

Garage I.

Garage II.

The secret entrance from the garage to the cells downstairs

Elderly people from the neighborhood remember a black Pobeda pulling in to the garage from time to time. That's when they knew a new prisoner has arrived.