Pest, half of the city of Budapest, was liberated on January 16. There are no accurate data on the number of Jews who survived in this city, but it is estimated at 70,000. Some 25,000 were living under diplomatic protection and another 25,000 were in hiding, in some cases with forged "Aryan" papers. In all, about 120,000 Jews eventually returned to Budapest. Although Hungary surrendered to the Soviet Union on January 20, Nazi units held positions in Buda until mid-February and systematically demolished that side of the city.
