Shortly after Hungary opened its border to Austria in May 1989, scores of East German refugees flocked to the West German embassy in Budapest. After more than 180 East German citizens had taken up residence on the premises, the embassy had to close temporarily on account of overcrowding. The stream of refugees continued unabated throughout the summer, and special places for refugees were set up inside Hungary. In these places, refugees could wait for their West German passports and for the longed-for departure to the Federal Republic. One such refugee camp, which had been set up by the Order of Malta on the grounds of a Budapest church, is pictured below.