There has recently been sharp criticism regarding the fact that civic houses in the Csapó Street pedestrian zone had to be demolished to make way for the expansion of the Forum Debrecen Shopping Center. If we’re talking about what was lost, it’s only fair to show what was actually there. One can debate the direction of Debrecen’s development. One can ask questions about a development project, and of course, one can also have different views on how to preserve the city’s built heritage. But this debate only makes sense if it is based on the plain truth. That is why we are now showing photos taken at the end of 2024, before the demolition began.
This photographic documentation accurately shows the true condition of the buildings in question. The images do not depict carefully preserved, well-maintained civic houses, but rather properties that had long been neglected, severely dilapidated, and in some places already in a miserable condition. However, it was not only the walls, roofs, or courtyards that revealed the condition of the site. Before demolition could begin, the developer had to arrange for the eviction of a total of fourteen individuals who were occupying the buildings without legal title. During the work, experts encountered conditions that required the demolition to be carried out with heightened public health precautions: human feces and animal carcasses were found on the site.
These were the “wonderful civic houses” for which – according to one account – Debrecen’s heart bleeds today. Saving civic houses is indeed a noble goal, but it requires timely action. Just as the dentist is not to blame for a tooth that has been pulled, the fault lies with the person who allowed that tooth to reach a point of no return.
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