Prohászka László: Polish Monuments - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2001)

by Adolf in 1880, of Transylvania by Romania.) Founded in 1929 the Hungarian National Bem Statue Committee, under the leadership of Baron György Balás, launched a money-raising campaign for a statue of Bern to be erected in the capital. With a substantial sum having been raised by 1934 the committee was in the position to commission János Istók to make a monument for Józef Bern. Pálffy square in the District II was assigned as the place. The square was re-named Bem tér in 1950.

It did not take Istók long to present his design. The sculpture itself met with general approval, but the decoration of the base had to be modified at the request of the municipality. The completed monument featured only one relief instead of the two originally designed by the sculptor. The base, carved from limestone, supports a twice-life-size bronze statue of Bern. The figure wears the characteristic Kossuth cap, well-known from Petőfi’s drawing, and his simple clothing evokes Bern’s puritanical personality. The figure wears heavy boots, a military uniform and a cloak with slits. Through the left-hand side slit the hilt of a Kossuth sword emerges into sight. The general’s

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Statue of “üncle Bem”

public places. (A statue of Józef Bern, made Huszár, had been erected in Marosvásárhely but it was pulled down after the annexation