PHOTOS: Check out Budapest’s new memorial park!

It was high time that the park opposite the Mammut Shopping Centre, Széna Square, a central and historic square, was brought back to life. There had been a huge mess there before, with many people not even wanting to take a quick walk through it, preferring to bypass it.

Renovated square, made into a memorial park

However, from now on, the park is bound to even attract people. According to the municipality of District II, the largest possible green area has now been created, the main pedestrian and cycling routes have been marked, accessibility has been improved, new bicycle storage facilities, street lighting and surveillance systems have been installed, and even public Wi-Fi is available, Travelo reports.

Source: Facebook/Őrsi Gergely

New elements include a city wall installation, a water display, more street furniture and more aesthetically pleasing metro vents. The water feature is illuminated in national colours from 10:23 AM to 11:04 AM and from 7:56 PM for 13 minutes.

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Statues in the park

The Széna Square Memorial Park is home to two statues: the statue of Hanna Szenes by Zsófia Fáskerti and the 1956 Monument by the artist group Hatdé. Hanna Szenes was a Hungarian poet, British paratrooper of Jewish origin and Israeli national hero. She died at the age of 23 in 1944 after she was arrested at the Hungarian border by Hungarian gendarmes. She was imprisoned, tortured and eventually executed by firing squad.

Statue of Hanna Szenes, Hungarian poet, British parachutist of Jewish descent, Israeli national hero in the square. Source: Facebook/Őrsi Gergely

The square also houses three chronoscopes, which allow you to look back in time from specific points in the square. Fortepan’s photographs show how the square looked in the 1930s, during the siege of 1945 and in 1956, the days of the revolution.

Source: Facebook/Őrsi Gergely

The maze of memories is made up of four poems, Géza Bereményi: Széna tér (Széna Square); János Térey: A városi hadviselés gyakorlata (The practice of urban warfare); Sándor Márai: Mennyből az angyal (The angel from heaven) and Hanna Szenes: Meghalni (To die), all of which appear on a uniquely designed paving stone.

68 trees have been planted on the renewed Széna Square, and the archaeological remains of the old St. John’s Hospital found during the construction work will be exhibited on the site, based on the concept of architect Tamás Dévényi, according to a statement by the municipality, MTI reported.

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Source: Travelo, Facebook