Monuments of famous Hungarians all over the world

Szeretlekmagyarország.hu has collected five different places all around the world where statues, monuments, and memorials keep the memories and heritages of famous Hungarian people. These people deserve to be remembered even outside their native countries.

1. Lajos Kossuth Monument in New York City

In 1927, Hungarian-American Géza Barko initiated a campaign through the daily Amerikai Magyar Nepszava to erect a statue to Kossuth in New York City. Although fund raising was conducted primarily through Hungarian-American religious and civic groups, the general public of New York contributed as well. Mayor James Walker organized and headed a statue committee and convinced the city council to designate a fitting location on Riverside Drive.

The original idea was for a memorial bust; but fund raising met with an unexpected response and a full-blown monument resulted.

Hungarian sculptor Janos Horvai was commissioned to design the sculptural grouping, based on the Kossuth statue in Cegléd, Hungary. The project progressed with astonishing speed and on November 5, 1927 ground was broken for the base of the statue.

The statue shows Kossuth holding the sword of Washington, which was gifted to him when he was in America.

2. Bartók Béla Statue in Brussels

Béla Bartók has always been popular in Belgium. The statue of the Hungarian composer and pianist is located in the centre of Brussels.

The statue was a gift from Hungary to Brussels, which is a great thing, because it had taken several months before the Belgian capital accepted it.

Bartok is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He shares the honour as Hungary’s greatest composer with Franz Liszt.

3. István Bocskai Statue in Geneva

As a recognized patron of Protestant Reformation, the István Bocskai Statue can be found on the Reformation Wall in Geneva, Switzerland. The wall honours many of the main individuals, events, and documents of the Protestant Reformation by depicting them in statues and bas-reliefs.

István Bocskai was a Hungarian Calvinist nobleman, and Prince of Transylvania, who was an eager advocate of the Hungarian interests and became the leader of a revolt against the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor’s effort to impose Roman Catholicism on the Kingdom of Hungary, when it was partitioned between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy.

4. Francis II Rákóczi Museum in Tekirdag (Rodostó)

Related article:
PILGRIMAGE TO THE MAIN SITES OF FRANCIS II RÁKÓCZI’S LIFE

The Rákóczi Museum is a historic house museum in Tekirdag, northwestern Turkey, which is a rebuilt 18th century house devoted to the life and times of the Hungarian national hero, Francis II Rákóczi, who lived in this house in exile during his last years between 1720 and 1735. The house was transformed in 1982 into a museum after it was donated to the Hungarian State. Since then, it has become a place of national pilgrimage for Hungarians.

5. Ferenc Puskás Statue in Madrid

The Ferenc Puskás Statue was erected in 2005 in Madrid, when the new Real Madrid training centre was inaugurated.

Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian football player and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952, and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup, where he was named the tournament’s best player. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960, 1966), 10 national championships (5 Hungarian and 5 Spanish Primera División) and 8 top individual scoring honours.

While playing for Real Madrid, Puskás won four Pichichis, and scored seven goals in two European Champions Cup finals. In 1995, he was recognized as the top scorer of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

based on the article of szeretlekmagyarország.hu
translated by Gábor Hajnal

Source: szeretlekmagyarország.hu