The memorial of Imre Nagy, Hungary’s prime minister during the 1956 revolution, was removed from Martyrs’ Square near Parliament in the early hours of Friday morning.
Tamás Wachsler, the chief coordinator of reconstruction on the area around Parliament, said in a statement that the square’s rehabilitation has got under way in line with the relevant government decision. The scheme’s first step was the removal of the Imre Nagy memorial for restoration, he said.
Hungary’s committee in charge of major memorial sites gave its preliminary consent to the square’s reconstruction on December 7. The project involves the relocation of the Imre Nagy memorial to nearby Jászai Mari Square, at the Pest head of Margaret Bridge, which Wachsler said could happen before June 16 next year, the anniversary of Nagy’s execution in 1958.
Wachsler has said then that
the Imre Nagy memorial will be replaced by a reconstructed post-WWI monument dedicated to the martyrs of the communist Red Terror in 1919.
The decision to relocate the statue has received criticism by Katalin Jánosi, Nagy’s granddaughter, as well as the Imre Nagy Association.
Nagy’s statue, depicting the martyred prime minister on a bridge, was inaugurated on June 6, 1996, his birth centenary.
A bust of former Prime Minister József Antall was inaugurated near his shrine at the Fiumei Road cemetery in Budapest on Wednesday, commemorating the 25th anniversary of his death.
Péter Boross, who succeeded Antall in his post, noted that Hungary’s first post-communist prime minister had been Hungary’s first freely elected leader after the change of regime and had “steered the country out of a distorted period with a firm hand”.
Hungary’s committee in charge of major memorial sites on Friday gave its preliminary consent to the reconstruction of Vértanúk tere (Martyrs’ Square) near Parliament, involving the relocation of a memorial of Imre Nagy, Hungary’s prime minister during the 1956 revolution, the chief coordinator of the project told MTI.
The square was originally named after a post-WWI memorial dedicated to the hundreds of innocent victims executed during the communist Red Terror in 1919. That monument, demolished in 1945, will now be authentically reconstructed on the basis of contemporary photographs and documents, Tamás Wachsler said.
In 1998 the square was renovated, plans were made by Anikó Andor and József Finta. At this time Tamás Varga’s statue of Imre Nagy was placed on a small river crossing the basin. Special plants are also here: beautiful evergreen and colorful foliage shrub bands and old japavaats.
In the meantime, the memorial of Imre Nagy, who was executed two years after the revolution had been crushed, will be relocated to nearby Jászai Mari Square, at the Pest head of Margaret Bridge, he said.
Martyrs’ Square will be turned into a pedestrian zone, he said.
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Out of the 3.8 million people mobilised from Hungary’s then territory, 661,000 died, 743,000 were wounded and 734,000 were POWs, he said.
Photo: MTI
The memorial, the first to be erected in Budapest since the change of regime, is in line with the objective laid down in the fundamental law, namely to restore historical continuity broken during the Nazi and communist occupations of the country, Rétvári said.
Photo: MTI
The state secretary said the first world war had brought about a clash between empire-building forces, and a free Hungarian nation would never have lined up to fight in the war.
“This means that if we are seeking peace, we have to take sides with free nations as it is always the empire-building forces that plunge the world into tragedy,” Rétvári said.
Situated a few kilometres to the south of Budapest, Memento Parkoffers visitors a glimpse of the urban-visual culture of Socialist Hungary through a huge collection of original statues and monuments that once dotted the streets of the Hungarian capital.
Easily accessible by bus departing every 10-15th minutes from Kelenföld metro station, Memento Park is the best way to experience what life was like behind the Iron Curtain, except if you’re in possession of a time machine.
Photo: www.facebook.com/MementoParkBudapest
Photo: www.facebook.com/MementoParkBudapest
Photo: www.facebook.com/MementoParkBudapest
The symbolic pieces of art displayed here, including allegorical monuments to the Hungarian-Soviet Friendship, as well as statues of Lenin, Marx, Béla Kun, and the Liberation Army Soldier (a favourite with visitors) are stark reminders of the tyrannous regime. Besides taking selfies with the giant statues, you can also learn about the 1956 revolution and the fall of communism in 1989, and even sit behind the wheel of a classic Trabant.
Batthyány Sanctuary Lamp
Located on the corner of Báthory and Hold utca near the grand Szabadság square, this monument commemorates the first Prime Minister of Hungary, Count Lajos Batthyány who was executed in this place on 6 October, 1849 by a firing squad.
Batthyány’s last words were: “Long live the motherland! Shoot, hunters!”.
Photo: Wiki Commons by Misibácsi
The sanctuary lamp sits on the former location of the courtyard of the New Building, a sprawling fortress that eventually became a prison. It was designed by architect Móric Pogány as early as 1905, but due to the delays caused by the First World War, the unveiling was held two decades later, on 6 October 1926, in the presence of the last surviving soldier of the Revolution of 1848, István Lebó.
Liberty Statue
Proudly standing atop Gellért Hill, the Liberty Statue (nicknamed “Bottle Opener”) is one of the most famous landmarks of Budapest. It was erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet army which “liberated” Hungary from German occupation in front of the south-eastern bastion of the Citadel. The statue itself (designed by Zsigmond Kisfaludi Stróbl, depicting a woman holding a palm leaf over her head) is 14 meters tall, and comes with a 26 meters high pedestal overlooking the city from a total height of 275 meters.
The original inscription on the base of the statue read “To the memory of the liberating Soviet heroes, erected by the grateful Hungarian people in 1945”. This was changed after the Communist Era ended in 1989 to read as follows:
“To the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary”.
A statue of Árpád Göncz, Hungary’s first post-communist president between 1990 and 2000, was unveiled in a Budapest district, on Friday.
Addressing the ceremony, András Gulyás, the head of the Árpád Göncz Foundation, said the former president, a one-time writer, translator and dissident, had dedicated his entire life to relentlessly fighting for the cause of democracy.
József Tóth, the mayor of the 13th district, said that Göncz kept to his high moral standards when serving in the highest office.
Árpád Göncz died on October 6, 2015 at the age of 93.
The centre of the district was named after him in 2016.
A monument to the late Cardinal József Mindszenty was inaugurated in Máriapócs, in north-eastern Hungary, on Saturday, in a ceremony attended by Miklós Soltész, state secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office.
In his address at the ceremony, Soltész referred to the late cardinal as one “showing the Christian way and an example in difficult situations”. Mindszenty facilitated the construction of churches and schools, and spoke up against the persecution of Jews as well as against the closure of religious orders in communist times, Soltész said.
Mindszenty, bishop of Veszprem in 1944, protested against the Nazi genocide and was arrested. Following World War II, he was appointed archbishop of Esztergom, then cardinal.
In 1948 he was arrested illegally by the communist authorities and sentenced to life imprisonment under false charges of conspiracy and espionage. He was imprisoned until the 1956 revolution. After his release, he gave a radio speech and stressed the idea of national independence and democracy.
Photo: MTI
On November 4, 1956, the first day of Soviet intervention, the cardinal took refuge in the US Embassy in Budapest. Threatened with arrest, he could not leave the building until 1971. Mindszenty was then allowed to leave Hungary under an agreement between Hungarian authorities and the Vatican. He died in 1975 and was buried in Mariazell, Austria.
After Hungary’s Supreme Court declared him innocent in May 1990, his remains were returned to Hungary and reburied in Esztergom Basilica.
Máriapócs is a national shrine, its Greek Orthodox church a destination for many pilgrims each year.
The statue of Hungarian statesman István Széchenyi was desecrated in Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti), in northern Romania, the mayor’s office reported on Wednesday.
Unidentified perpetrators painted the words “This is Romania” in Romanian on the plinth, along with the red-yellow-blue of the Romanian national flag, the statement said.
Satu Mare’s mayor, Gabor Kereskényi, said that the message was “an attack on all inhabitants” of the town.
All respectable people agree with it…” the statement said.
Kereskényi said that diverse nationalities have lived alongside each other peacefully for nearly thirty years. During the past months, “certain politicians have been using impressionable people of suspicious backgrounds” to incite Hungarians and Romanians against each other, he said.
Climbing the Gellért Hill is worth the effort and time, not just because of the glorious view of Budapest, but also because of the beautiful Liberty Statue gracing its top resembling a woman. But did you know that the Liberty Statue has been to space? Funzine debunks some of the most exciting secrets of this artistic creation.
Original idea: a male figure?
Myth: Word claims that the Liberty Statue was supposed to be honouring István Horthy (Hungarian Regent Admiral during WWII and fighter pilot) the son of Miklós Horthy (was the Regent of Hungary around the two great wars). István died from his wounds suffered when his plane crashed in 1942. Although his statue was finished by 1944, it was never erected due to the German occupation and bombing of Budapest.
Truth: there were no talks about a Liberty Statue illustrating István Horthy.
The idea of erecting a statue atop the Gellért Hill came in 1945 to commemorate the Soviet soldiers fallen in WWII and was modelled after Erzsébet Thuránszky. The 54 metres tall statue was finished in April 1947 and was supposed to be erected at the Horváth garden behind the Buda Castle, but the Soviets were not keen on the location, as it would not have gotten much attention there.
Sacrifices made for the sake of art
The Liberty Statue was made by Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl, who actually had something to do with the Horthy family, as he was commissioned for three Horthy statues.
Strobl arrived in Budapest from Sopron for this purpose, and he met the model by accident on the corners of Dózsa György street and Thököly street.
Since he asked her to be his model right on the spot, Erzsébet thought him to be a satyr.
The young woman finally said yes when the artist revealed who he was. Erzsébet was not offered payment for modelling, and she did not even ask for any money. The woman worked as an x-ray assistant at a sanatorium in Sopron.
photo: Gabor Dvornik – WikiCommons
Some of the sacrifices that Erzsébet had to make included cutting her hair short and holding a palm branch above her head for hours, while cold air was blown at her with the help of a ventilator as to create the natural, windy flow of the statue.
From Liberation Statue to Liberty Statue
The statue was originally referred to as the Liberation Statue, but when the communist regime ended in Hungary, and the statue was renovated,
the inscriptions and plaques written in Cyrillic letters resembling Soviet ideologies were removed.
Thanks to the change in the political system and the removal of Soviet items, the name of the statue was changed from Liberation to Liberty.
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A space trip
Even though only a small version of the Liberty Statue was taken to space by the first Hungarian astronaut, Bertalan Farkas in 1980, Hungarians like to associate the miniature with the original, thereby claiming that the Liberty Statue has been to space. After all, it does sound nice that the Moon is a great admirer too of Budapest’s iconic statue, right?
The famous Columbo statue in Budapest causes a great deal of head-scratching to tourists, according to szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu. They cannot figure out the reason behind it ever being made or why exactly it stands where it stands.
Background of the statue
It was revealed in 2013, two years after his death, that there would be a statue commemorating Peter Falk, the actor who took on the role of Columbo for many years. The plan was to immortalise the actor in one of his most famous roles, as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective of the LAPD, in district V. in Budapest. There was a call for applicants to make the statue.
The plan was to portray Peter Falk, who died aged 83, in his signature tanned raincoat and together with his loyal sidekick, a basset hound. The statue of the world-famous detective role was to be set up at the end of Falk Miksa Street, since Peter Falk himself mentioned in his autobiography that he had Hungarian ancestry thanks to one of his grandparents.
Perhaps this is what sparked the rumour that many people claim to have known: that Peter Falk is the descendant (great-grandchild or great-great-grandchild) of the famous Hungarian writer and journalist, Miksa Falk.
The competition was a success and the statue was unveiled in 2014 at the junction of Falk Miksa Street and Saint Stephen Boulevard, sparkling wonder and confusion ever since.
Photo: Alpár Kató – Daily News Hungary
Although the statue is a popular tourist destination and featured many times on various social media photos, certain foreign sites do like to make fun of it.
These sites like to point out the three curiosities of the statue.
It features not Peter Falk the actor, a private person and regular human being, but one of his roles.
It is not certain at all that he was, in fact, a descendant of Miksa Falk.
The unveiling of the statue is connected neither to the birth date nor to the death of the actor, it is absolutely arbitrary.
Peter Falk’s acting career
Peter Falk was born in 1927 in New York, as a child of Jewish immigrant parents. His parents were both born in New York, while his paternal grandparents were from Russia, his maternal grandmother was from Czechoslovakia and his maternal grandfather was from Hungary.
Falk played sports as a child and was interested in acting, too. Although he was preparing to become a federal agent, he took acting classes and turned towards acting in the ‘50s, aged 28. His first roles were for the stage but he later managed to get into movies and TV shows.
He was nominated for two Oscars (Murder Inc., Pocketful of Miracles) and several Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, a lot of which he won.
Peter Falk as Columbo Photo: facebook.com/lieutenant.columbo
Although he has played in a plethora of movies, most Hungarians got to know him from Columbo. It is therefore interesting that, after the first episode (Prescription: Murder) in 1968, the second only came out three years later due to Falk’s hesitation and doubt regarding the role. Nevertheless, this second episode (Ransom for a Dead Man), shown in Hungarian cinemas, really launched the Columbo series, conquering the whole world.
For his role as Columbo, Falk was nominated for 10 Emmys, 5 of which he won, and 9 Golden Globes, of which one he could take home. The man in the role of the shabby-looking and tame detective who pretended to be slow and not too sharp but was, in reality, a genius, captured the hearts and attention of Hungarian fans as well, to which the brilliant dubbing only added.
Peter Falk’s ancestry
Even though one of Falk’s grandfathers was, in fact, born in Hungary, he did not bear the Falk name but was named Hochhauser. There are other plot holes in the urban legend that Miksa Falk is in any way connected to Peter Falk.
Miksa Falk was born in 1828, to an impoverished Jewish-Hungarian merchant family. He was working by the age of 14, as well as going to school. His reviews and translations were first published in 1843, and he soon became the sub-editor of the paper called Ungar. He enrolled in a school in Vienna but then decided to get a job at the savings bank while still working as a journalist.
He said of himself that ‘I was still half a child when I began writing, so I have up to 50 years of scribbles before I came to the public light.’
He had met István Széchenyi several times, paying weekly visits to the ‘greatest Hungarian’ in Döbling. They developed a friendship and won each other’s trust, so the majority of the count’s anonymous writings saw the light with the help of Falk, to which he added forewords or at times entire chapters.
His articles helped the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 to come about and he became a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
He was introduced to Elisabeth, more commonly known Sisi, the wife of Franz Joseph, in 1866. Beginning in 1867, the countess and Falk met regularly. At the time, he was still involved with journalism while also dipping his toes into politics. He retreated from the spotlight in 1906 and died just 2 years later.
Photo: Alpár Kató – Daily News Hungary
When the possibility of a connection between the two Falks was first suggested, the chief archivist of the Budapest Capital Archive, Gabriella Csiffáry, wrote that
‘I have been researching the Hungarian ancestry of Peter Falk for a year now but only found clues on his maternal side. I have no idea where the theory of a connection to Miksa Falk originates from. I have checked every single one of Miksa Falk’s descendants’ birth certificates and not one suggests any kind of connection.’
Ergo, it turns out the statue commemorates more an urban legend than actual historical facts. Recently, the addition of the small Mihály Kolodko-statue behind Columbo provides a twist to the entire myth.
Photo: Alpár Kató – Daily News Hungary
Even though there is likely no connection at all between Peter Falk and Miksa Falk, it is fun to make up theories or just take pictures with the statue that has by now become a signature tourist destination in Budapest.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday inaugurated a memorial to the victims of Budapest’s Soviet occupation, saying that after the second world war, “we learnt that Hungary’s most important asset is its sovereignty”.
“We have paid for our weakness and loss of independence with hundreds of thousands of deportees, captives and expulsions,” Orbán said at the ceremony in Budapest’s 3rd district, adding that Hungary would not yield an “ounce of sovereignty” because it would end up losing all of it.
“The Gulag memorial behoves the creation of a Hungary where such events are inconceivable, so all unrealistic and muddled ideas and plans that serve foreign interests must be kept outside the borders,” Orbán said.
Several European politicians still haven’t accepted that the “road to European unity is through the downfall of monuments to Lenin and Marx,” he said.
Photo: MTI
“We know that Communism has no human face, that its real face is called the Gulag,” he said.
After looking at the legends connected to famous sights in the capital, we are changing the direction towards major cities in different parts of the country. In this series, we collected 4 legends about the city of Győr about which we are going to unveil some secrets. Join us and get to know more about this historical city.
1.The history of the iron rooster
The legend of the iron rooster is the most well-known story of Győr. As Irodalmijelen.hu reports, it symbolizes the victory of freedom, courage and Hungarian inventiveness. The fairy-tale-like legend revives the story of the recapture of the castle of Győr from the Turkish army. The iron rooster sitting on the bastion was meant to show the direction of the wind, but the leader of the Turkish army, Szinán pasha, believed that the castle is impregnable until the iron rooster does not crow.
/wikicommons by Doncsecz/
The other protagonist of the story is a cobbler, called Ferkó Bajusz, who, climbing up the bastion where the rooster sat, crowed like a cock on the night of the siege. In fact, the inhabitants of Győr wanted to recapture their castle for quite a long time and the sound of a trumpet blown by Ferkó made the Turkish army believe that the prophecy came true.
What we know for sure is that under the cover of darkness, the Hungarian and Austrian troops blew up the Fehérvári gate and recaptured the castle. As far as the famous iron rooster is concerned, it is still preserved in the János Xántus Museum in Győr.
If you happen to visit the city, do not forget to find this historically significant object as well.
2. Statue of the Ark of the Covenant
The Statue of the Arc of the Covenant stands in Gutenberg Square. This is a Baroque monument of the city the history of which dates back to 1729, reports Kisalfold.hu. The statue is related to a runaway soldier, György Weingasser, who found refuge in the Jesuit church of Győr. He was accused of bigamy, adultery and of using a false name. At the procession organised in the framework of the feast of Corpus Christi, he was helped to get to the bishop’s place and was dressed like an acolyte.
/www.kozterkep.hu//www.kozterkep.hu/
However, despite the effort to disguise the runaway soldier, he was recognised by his mates drinking in the local pub who also informed the police. Meanwhile, a fight broke out and the priest dropped the tabernacle with the Holy Wafer. People trampled on it which meant a great blasphemy and the rumour of desecration spread quickly.
The rumour about the blasphemy reached even the royal court in Vienna and it was Charles III who commanded to set up a statue asking for the pardon of God.
If would one wonder why the Ark of Covenant is the design of the statue, according to Turizmus.gyor.hu, the broken pieces of the tabernacle were put into a box after the fight, where they are still preserved by angels.
3. The White Lady of Lőcse
/wikicommons by Pe-Jo/
The story of the White Lady of Lőcse is undoubtedly the most bewitching Hungarian story that you have ever heard. While in many societies, the White Lady is a fictional character, the symbol of something bad coming to the house, this Hungarian woman was actually a real person. She is called Julianna Korponainé Géczy who became the protagonist of Mór Jókai’s novel and who was actually in prison after April 1713.
She was accused of helping the assailants capturing the castle of Lőcse during Rákóczi’s War of Independence, which broke out against the Habsburg absolutism.
Her role was mainly the role of a diplomat, which meant that she sent letters and messages to the two parties, but people believed that she actually caused the fall of the city. After a long legal procedure, she was executed on 25 September 1715 at today’s Széchenyi Square in Győr, but her story became immortalized in the novel of Mór Jókai.
4. The legend of the house with an iron stick
The house located in Széchenyi Square was named after the spiked stick placed on its side. According to one of the legends, a tree stood once in the place where now the house stands. It was at this tree that tradespeople travelling through the city met and shared their experiences, reports Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu.
In order to commemorate their reunion in Győr, they hammered spikes into the stick made of wood and thus it became known as the iron stick.
As it is widely known, it was not enough for tradespeople belonging to a guide to learn the craft, but they also had to travel abroad to gain experience. Therefore, people took their sticks and packs and continued their journey in a different town. According to this source, the stick commemorates the wanderings of tradespeople from town to town.
/wikicommons by Balint86 at Hungarian Wikipedia/
In fact, another source mentions that the house was bought by Mátyás Zittritsh, apothecary, who made the stick to become a signboard for his business. the model of which was the Austrian Stock im Eisen. This idea seems to be more realistic and plausible, but who knows what the real truth behind the story could be 🙂
There is always a lot to discover in Budapest since every corner provides something special, unique and breath-taking. Thanks to our fantastic capital that offers a scenic view over the Danube, more and more tourists visit Hungary, and most of them do not even know what incredible legends circulate about our famous or less known sights, reports Lobu.hu. Here is a collection of the most unusual stories and the truth lying behind them. So let us immerse ourselves in history.
The history of Budapest dates back to long centuries during which a handful of legends came to life. As it usually happens, it was particular people who started to spread them, but the rumour started to live its own life. From this article, you can figure out what gave basis to the legends about some of the sights in the capital and what the truth is behind them.
1. Thököly Street and the mysterious woman
If you walk with open eyes in Thököly Street and admire the buildings, you can see a figure of a woman looking into the distance from the balcony. According to locals, during World War I, a young couple lived in the building who were separated by the war. The man went to the front to fight while his wife waited for him in their home, every day. She was looking out of the balcony leaning on her elbows waiting for her husband to arrive.
/www.kozterkep.hu/
However, at that time, the Spanish flu infected millions of people in Hungary and the young woman was no exception to the deadly epidemic. She became seriously ill; still, despite her illness, she was on the balcony every day hoping to see her beloved one. According to the legend, it is here that she died.
/www.kozterkep.hu/
It is the irony of fate that the husband arrived from the front right on the next day, but he only found his dead wife on the balcony. He set up a statue to honour his lady for her loyalty and walled up the door of the balcony so that nobody could even step into that place.
2. The Chain Bridge and its lions
Many legends are circulating about the lions sitting on both sides of the Chain Bridge. The most well-known legend holds that the lions have no tongue due to which the sculptor, János Marschalkó, was humiliated and being much ashamed, he eventually committed suicide by jumping into the Duna.
/Lion statue at the bridgehead photo: fortepan/
In fact, this is not true at all, since the lions have their tongues, but they were deliberately made invisible to the passers-by from the level of the pavement. The sculptor, also known for working on the sculptures of the Vigadó and the MTA, confirmed this news. For those who made fun of him, he responded ironically:
“Would that your wife had such a tongue as my lions!”
3. The Matthias Well and a less known woman
While walking along Buda in the Palace district, you can catch a glimpse of the Matthias Well. As Guideathand.com reports, the “crown” of the Buda Palace was made by Alajos Stróbl in 1904. It commemorates a hunt of the famous Hungarian king, Matthias Hunyadi.
/karpat-medence.hu/keptar/
By going closer to the sculpture, you can see that besides the figures of men, a woman is also represented. This is Ilonka Szép who lived during the reign of King Matthias. As it is widely known, Matthias loved going hunting disguised and during one of his hunts, he met the beautiful Ilonka. The girl immediately fell in love with the king unaware of his real identity. It was only later seeing him once in Buda that she realised who he really was. She became very sad since her love could not be fulfilled.
/karpat-medence.hu/keptar/
As the legend goes, Matthias wanted to visit the lady, but by the time he arrived, she had already died. The sculpture, built in Art Nouveau style, commemorates this magical and tragical story as well. Just to paint a full picture of the well, on the left side, Galeotto Marzio, the famous chronicler, sits with a falcon while on the upper level, the king’s henchman and the master hunter can be seen.
4. The Citadel and the enigmatic woman figure
Who is the woman towering above the whole capital? The history of the Hungarian Liberty Statue also gave birth to numerous legends. The 1st difficulty which we face is the name of the person who commissioned the construction of the fortress. A legend circulates about Horthy commanding the construction of the statue to commemorate his son, István Horthy, dying during military service. His plane crashed in 1942, and he died due to the serious injuries. This story gave rise to the rumour that originally, István Horthy would have been the model for the statue on the Citadel.
commons.wiki.org by Civertan Grafikai Stúdió
Another legend mentions that the woman up on the hill is the daughter of Kisfaludy, but it also proved to be false.
Actually, The idea of setting up a statue was born in 1945, reports Funzine.hu. Its model was Erzsébet Thuránszky, and it was made by the sculptor Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl who, by the way, also made 3 Horthy statues 🙂
To work on the statue, Strobl travelled from Sopron to the capital, and it is here that he bumped into Erzsébet Thuránszky and asked her to be the model for his sculpture. The woman’s first thought was that Strobl is a satyr who wanted to bother her, but eventually, she accepted his proposition. In fact, the lady did not want and did not get anything in return, but she had to cut her hair off. While the artist was working, the lady had to hold a palm branch for hours, and a ventilator blew the air to help the artist illustrate how the wind catches the woman’s dress.
Stay tuned for PART 2! 🙂
Featured image: Bódis Krisztián / Budapest Images/ https://www.facebook.com/pg/budapestimages/photos/?ref=page_internal
Hungary has many wonders; this is why one should explore as many as possible. Based on the article of magyarorszagom.hu, we introduce you the amazing Church of Ják.
The church of Ják is the monumental basilica of the long-ago Benedictine Abbey of Ják. It was built in the Roman style and is an essential part of the Hungarian architecture. It is the only undamaged survivor of the Hungarian ethnical monasteries of the Middle Ages.
The church lies a hundred kilometres away from the capital. It is on the top of the hills in the Jáki-Soros-Stream Valley. Therefore visitors can see it from any direction.
History and construction
Its founder was Márton Jáki Nagy. He was a noble person, and he started to build a large estate in the 12th century. He wanted to be remembered for his wealth and power, so he ordered the building of this enormous church. During its construction, workers modified the plans several times. As a result, irregularity appears on the finished building. It was baptised in 1256, for the respect of Saint György.
Characteristics of the buildings
The thick-set church is visible from 10 to 15 kilometres away. It perfectly fits in its surroundings. From the south, the building is surrounded by a wall. The most famous part of the church, the main entrance is here. It is deepening, proportioned and decorated with Norman motives. Furthermore, above the gate, we can see a Jesus on the tympana with angels and apostles.
As we step inside, we can see the southern side with another gate. It is not as detailed as the main entrance, but its columns decorated with bay-leaves are beautiful. There is also an embossment of God’s sheep and a dragon figure around them. Leaving this gate behind, we find the entrance of the church, and across the street front, there is the Saint Jakab Chapel. In the middle ages, it was forbidden for the abbeys to function as town churches at the same time. Therefore, the chapel functioned as the church of the town.
The eastern side of the church is less decorated. There are semi-column triads herewith animals and leaf-ornaments. We can also see the Catholic man’s triumph over the dragons.
The sanctuary is decorated. The two-story main apse is in between the two lower side apses. On the main shoulder, there are leaf and chess patterns.
Going around the sacristy, we get back to the southern gate.
Inside of the church
Because of the loophole-like windows, it seems to be dark inside of the church. However, it doesn’t stop visitors to realise how massive the three-bayed basilica is. The loft is so big that is could have functioned as a separate chapel. The patron’s place was the sedilia behind the organ. The most-used elements of the decoration in the church are members of flora and fauna.
Owners and renovations
The estate had several different owners due to the historical events through the centuries. In 1455, Bertold Elderbach possessed it, but his son gave it to Tamás Bakócz. This is how the Erdődy Family inherited it.
1532 was an important date in the church’s history because back then the Ottoman attacked and seriously damaged the building. At this time the sculptures, which were accessible, were beheaded. From 1562, nobody lived here, and the burgess of Szombathely burnt it down in 1567.
Fortunately, the church was renovated between 1660 and 1666. At last, it was repaired between 1896 and 1904. This time, the central idea was to recreate the original look as explicitly as possible.Hungar
Funzine.hu reports that Priscilla Presley, former wife of Elvis Presley, also supports the idea of inaugurating a statue in Budapest to honour the musical achievements of the rock ‘n’ roll legend. Priscilla Presley, mother of the only child of “the King”, is going to visit Hungary on 6 June in the framework of the Wonder of You tour. The organisers informed her that the Hungarian fans of Elvis urge to set up a statue in Budapest to commemorate the legendary singer. Here are the latest details!
The Hungarian Elvis Club has been fighting for years for installing an Elvis statue in the middle of the park named after him. In fact, the Hungarian Elvis Club visited the local government and also organised a donation to collect the necessary money for the realisation of the project.
Priscilla Presley, one of the founders of the Elvis Presley Enterprises, was informed about the dedicated effort of the Hungarian fans by the organisers of her concert in Budapest and she also got to know that a public park was named after her former husband. Upon hearing this news, she expressed her joy in the following way:
“This is absolutely incredible and it shows how much Elvis influenced the whole world. Although he died more than 40 years ago, he left his footprint in the world with his music and personality that cannot be simply erased. He himself would not have thought that decades after his death, a park will be named after him in Hungary. Hopefully, in the near future, a statue can also honour him. I find it a fantastic thing that the local government supported this good cause and named the park after him, but I also thank for the fans who are urging the installation of a statue, too. I hope they will succeed.”
The immortality of the musical achievement of “the King” is also shown by the triumphant celebration of him at the Wonder of You tours that always attract millions of people. In Budapest, the live show can be seen on 6 June. Elvis will appear on the screen accompanied by a symphonic orchestra. The lucky ones who once saw one of the live concerts of Elvis can evoke their fondest memories of him while the tour also allows others to enjoy the most recognisable voice in the world for the 1st time.
/facebook/Gyertyafényes megemlékezés az Elvis Presley parkban/
Budapest decided to name a park in Buda after Elvis Presley since besides being the most influential icon of the 20th century, Elvis also gave assistance to those in need and supported the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. In an American TV show, he called the attention of ten thousands of people to the Revolution and asked them to donate to the troubled Hungarians. This is why he has been an honorary citizen of the capital since 2011.
We hope that shortly, a statue will also remind Hungarians of the incredible singer he was and his effort to help the Hungarians!
A number of interesting stone and copper statues which are being dotted throughout the Budapest are the real price of Hungary! They are genuinely some of the grandest historical figures at prominent landmarks. Most of such amazing statues have immensely subtle stories behind them. If you haven’t experienced the beauty of such statues yet then just fly to Hungary soon.
However, do you want to know such magnificent histories of classy Budapest statues? Then, just read ahead:
Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy is one of Hungary’s significant prime ministers. You can find his statue standing atop his own gnarled copper-wrought bridge. He played a decisive role in the year 1956 when there was a war against the Soviet Union. Though the incident ultimately leads to his execution it was certainly the start of Hungary’s regaining control.
Ronald Reagan
This statue is not very far from Imre Nagy but it is one of the most amazing ones at Budapest. He stands in the Freedom Square which was once a house of numerous historic Hungarian statues until the Soviets took the control. Afterwards, the statues were removed and they built their own monument to their fallen soldiers. The statue of Regan was added many years later so that it can counterbalance the Soviet star-topped obelisk. His position was such that he is set to march right across the stone monument to the nearby embassy of the US.
Shoes on the Danube bank
It is a yet another astounding tourist destination at Hungary. This statue is situated quite near to the Hungarian parliament which makes the ornate and eclectic bronze shoes on the Danube seems to be quaint but they definitely have a somber meaning. The sculpture of 60 pairs of classy bronze shoes represents many thousands of Jewish Hungarians who were shot dead by Budapest’s Arrow Cross militia and were following Nazi ideologies during the second world war.
The Fat Policeman
It is said that if you pat the belly of this portly fellow then it would bring good luck to you. Since this statue is located close to the Basilica of St Stephens, there usually remains a huge number of tourists who end up patting his belly to bring great luck. This outstanding statue which is located on Zrinyi Street was created by an artist who modeled it on his grandfather who was actually a policeman and he would usually wear this traditional outfit during various parades and festivities.
Winding Up
Undoubtedly, the aforementioned statues are simply splendid! So, does the history of the same, I hope you found such histories as something appealing and enticing. Well, this was actually my intention to make you aware of something new which made me come up with this post. Moreover, there are even many such other historical statues at Budapest which unfold some of the most exceptional stories. Just visit, explore, and know!
A statue of Hungarian-born former US Congressman Tom Lantos was unveiled in central Budapest near his school on Thursday, marking the day of his birth.
Addressing the event in the 13th district where Lantos used to live, David Kostelancik, the US Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires, called the congressman “a true gentleman and statesman”, “who always focused on the dignity of his fellow humans” irrespective of their political views.
József Tóth, the district’s mayor, said Tom Lantos was a hero who fought for the cause of democracy and equal rights.
He was someone who as a politician was fighting against anti-Semitism, discrimination and genocide and was an advocate of national minority rights, the mayor said.
Tomicah Tillemann, a grandson of Lantos, said the congressman was “a son of Budapest” who use to return to his home town on every possible occasion.
Born on this day in 1928, Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to have served in the United States Congress. He died in February in 2008.
The statue has been erected at the Tom Lantos Promenade.
The world’s largest Gömböc statue has been erected on Corvin Promenade in Budapest, Hungary. The 4.5-meter high stainless steel Corvin Gömböc weighing more than 4 tonnes is also the world’s first outdoor Gömböc shaped statue. The Gömböc, one of the most important Hungarian inventions of the 21st century, is also the symbol of the Hungarian ingenuity.
The Corvin Gömböc statue raised at Nokia Skypark located on Corvin Promenade is a stainless steel shell supported on a frame. The Corvin Gömböc was commissioned by Futureal Group, a leading real estate development company in Central Europe. The statue has been completed by Direct Line Kft under the artistic supervision of József Zalavári in association with the inventors of the Gömböc.
The Gömböc was invented by two Hungarian architect-engineers, Gábor Domokos and Péter Várkonyi, both teaching at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
The Gömböc is the first known convex, homogeneous object to have just one stable and one unstable equilibrium point.
It is easy to prove that objects with less than two equilibria do not exist. The existence of the Gömböc was conjectured by one of the greatest mathematicians, Vladimir Igorevich Arnold.
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Because of its similarity to the sphere, the Gömböc is one of the most sensitive geometric forms. It does not exist in the non-organic environment (pebbles), because the constant erosion changes the number of its balance points. The organic environment, however, managed to produce a Gömböc-like shape in the form of the shell of the Indian Star Tortoise. Gömböc-motivated abrasion theory has already led to interesting discoveries in planetary sciences, including the reconstruction of the provenance of Martian pebbles based alone on the pictures taken by NASA’s Curiosity and it served as an independent confirmation of past fluvial activity on the Red Planet. The Gömböc also helped to explain the bizarre, elongated shape of the first observed interstellar asteroid Oumuamua.
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
Photo: Futureal Group
The length of the Corvin Gömböc’s shell makes a reference to Vladimir Igorevich Arnold’s work: 4851 is the 97th extactic number and the Corvin Gömböc was designed so that its length reaches 4851 millimetres at the temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius). Extactic numbers appeared in the work of Professor Arnold on the generalization of the 4-vertex Theorem, which is closely tied to the Gömböc shape.
Beside its function as a tourist attraction, the world’s largest Gömböc statue standing next to Nokia Skypark office building developed by Futureal Group raises attention to the scientific activities carried out in the area.
Prestigious institutes including Semmelweis University, IT faculty of Pázmány Péter Catholic University and Institute of Experimental Medicine of Hungarian Science Academy operate nearby Corvin Promenade.
