The statue of 19th-century Hungarian revolutionary poet Sándor Petőfi in Strasbourg was vandalised overnight, prompting police to launch an investigation after reports from Hungarian citizens, Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe and local authorities.
Csanád Major, a diplomat at Hungary’s mission, said this was the second attack in a week, with the first having occurred last Thursday night. The poet’s name and plaque were partially chiselled off, the bronze relief of Petofi was pried loose and stolen, and the pillar was damaged with a hammer, smeared with paint and scrawled on. Attempts were also made to topple the monument.
The diplomatic mission condemned the act, calling Petofi a symbol of Hungarian freedom, national independence and European democratic values. The statue, unveiled in 2004, also represents Hungarian-French cultural ties and Europe’s intellectual heritage. Legal steps are being taken with local authorities.
The opposition Fidesz-KDNP European Parliament group also condemned the “vandalism attack” as “shocking, painful and utterly deplorable”, emphasising the statue’s role as a symbol of Hungarian unity and historical memory. They expressed hope that, once restored, the monument would continue to uphold the values of Hungarian freedom and national cohesion in Strasbourg.
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Update from Strassbourg
Now that we have received our reader’s letter, we would like to publish it:
The formal reports to the police and the city were made by Dr. Agnes Janoshazi personally — no one else has filed one, to my knowledge.
I have looked after this small square since autumn 2024, when I cleaned out the abandoned area around the monument. Since Peter Magyar celebrated March 15th 2025 here and Zoltán Tarr unveiled the long-missing bilingual plaque, the square has been a living place of remembrance — wreaths, ribbons, visitors from Paris, Stuttgart, and Basel. The first “ISon” tag appeared last week; a second tag, “KH”, was added today,covered up the previos one, “ISon”. The bronze relief of Petőfi has been stolen. – Janoshazi said.
Dear Daily News Hungary team,
Thank you for covering the vandalism of the Petőfi monument in Strasbourg — it matters that this story reached an international audience.
I am writing as the person on the ground in Strasbourg. I m the vice president of European Hungarian Diaspora Network. I took the photographs of the vandalised monument that are now circulating with the story, and I am the one who filed the formal report (plainte) with the French police and the signalement with the Hôtel de Ville of Strasbourg. I would be grateful for two small corrections so the record is accurate:
— Could the photos used in the article be credited to me, as “Photo: [Janoshazi Agnes]”? Under French copyright law I hold the moral right of attribution, and accurate credit also helps the story stay trustworthy as it travels.
— The article currently attributes the reporting to “Hungarian citizens, Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe and local authorities.” The Permanent Representation posted on Facebook, which is welcome, but the formal reports to the police and the city were made by me personally — no one else has filed one, to my knowledge.
For context that may be useful for any follow-up piece: I have looked after this small square since autumn 2024, when I cleaned out the abandoned area around the monument. Since Peter Magyar celebrated March 15th 2025 here and Zoltán Tarr unveiled the long-missing bilingual plaque, the square has been a living place of remembrance — wreaths, ribbons, visitors from Paris, Stuttgart, and Basel. The first “ISon” tag appeared last week; a second tag, “KH”, was added today,covered up the previos one, “ISon”. The bronze relief of Petőfi has been stolen.
I am happy to share further details, additional photographs, or to be reached for comment.
With best regards, Dr. Agnes Janoshazi
Thank you so much, we updated
One has to wonder ‘who’ and ‘why’? It makes no sense, Petofi isn’t such a divisive figure as to warrant such treatment. Quite the opposite in fact.