The wooden monument intended to commemorate the Battle of Mohács — but swiftly dubbed a “winged phallus” by the public — has been removed in the Hungarian town of Devecser, with both the mayor and the deputy mayor behind the initiative offering rather curious explanations.
Deputy mayor ‘did not see’ phallus
An unusual monument was unveiled in Devecser on August 20, Hungary’s national holiday marking the foundation of the state. It was intended to commemorate the Battle of Mohács, whose 500th anniversary falls on August 29 — this Saturday.
The deputy mayor claimed the statue had been completed at breakneck speed: officials were still debating the design on August 19, only for the unveiling to follow the next day, complete with a priestly blessing, children’s entertainment and all the usual trimmings.
Speaking to RTL Híradó, Hajnalka Nyárs, the deputy mayor who conceived the project, said that the organisers had not “seen into it” what others immediately did. She accepted, however, that viewers were free to see whatever their individual imaginations suggested in a work of art.
In this case, much of the country saw a winged phallus in the wooden statue, which was supposedly meant to depict a helmeted Turul — the winged bird of Hungarian mythology. It was intended as a memorial to the Hungarian, Czech, Croatian, Serbian and other soldiers who died fighting bravely for their homeland on the Mohács plain.
A nation remembers Mohács
August 29 marks the 500th anniversary of Hungary’s defeat at the Battle of Mohács. On that day in 1526, Louis II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, was defeated by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman on the Mohács plain — and lost his life in the aftermath.
The defeat effectively marked the collapse of the medieval Hungarian state and the beginning of Ottoman occupation across large parts of the country for more than a century and a half. The occupation profoundly altered the ethnic balance of the region, shaping the course of later history. Mohács was therefore regarded by contemporaries — and remains regarded by modern historians — as a decisive historical watershed.
499 years ago: the Battle of Mohács Memorial – photos and video
It is little surprise, then, that Mohács has already been hosting a steady programme of commemorations and cultural events this week. The anniversary itself, on Saturday, will be marked by a major ceremony and a historically faithful re-enactment of the battle.
Mayor says he never saw it
Devecser has nevertheless found a way to make the anniversary rather more distinctive. The deputy mayor has acknowledged her error, and the monument was dismantled on Tuesday — although, according to RTL Híradó, some visitors had travelled to the town solely to see it.
Ms Nyárs said that negative publicity was still publicity, and that if the affair inadvertently attracted tourists to the town, she would be pleased. Locally, however, she has received ample criticism, with calls in some groups for her resignation or removal from office.
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It is telling that she responded to the online mockery only several days after it began to spread.
There has been no word on what will replace the work, which formed part of a larger memorial park — making the episode all the more unfortunate.
In a further twist, Devecser’s mayor, Gábor Ferenczi, a former Jobbik representative, said he had not seen the monument either before or after it was erected, according to 444.hu. If that is indeed the case, the town hall may need to take a rather closer interest in how independent local initiatives are carried out in future.
The statue was carved free of charge by the mayor of nearby Bodorfa.
