The world’s first public triptych in Hungary

According to origo.hu, Cardinal József Mindszenty’s and Antal Pálinkás-Pallavicini’s (who died as a martyr in the reprisal after 1956) joint memorial is to be set up in Rétság, Nógrád County. The inauguration will be on the 30^th of October.

Besides the figures of Mindszenty and Pálinkás-Pallavicini, an altar is also part of the memorial, thus making it the world’s first public triptych. The maquette of the memorial was presented last Tuesday.

József Mindszenty was held captive in Felsőpetény, close to Rétság, by the National Defence Authority. During the days of the 1956 revolution, the guards left the cardinal alone on the 30^th of October. He was taken to the ironclad barrack in Rétság for the sake of his safety, and then to Budapest with a military cortege at the request of the revolutionary government.

Mindszenty was welcomed by Antal Pálinkás-Pallavicini in the barrack, who then escorted him to the episcopal palace in Buda the next day. This is why after the revolution he was first sentenced for life imprisonment, and then to death. He was executed in 1957.

The memorial was initiated and supported by the ’56 committee of Rétság. Borbála Pallavicini, the daughter of the martyr was present at the demonstration of the maquette. She said that she was only two and a half years old when her father was executed. In that time Antal Pálinkás-Pallavicini was the president of the Rétság revolutionary council. He was promoted as a posthumous colonel and later chosen as the honorary citizen of Nógrád County. Moreover, a public place was named after him in Budapest’s 11^th district.

The memorial is made by master sculptor János Babusa. He said that the figures standing on the sides of the triptych are bigger than life-size and are made of bronze. He’s making the altar from design concrete and there’s going to be a knell at its height. The memorial is also supported by the municipality of Rétság.

Photos: MTI

Copy editor: bm

Source: http://www.origo.hu/