Prohászka László: Polish Monuments - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2001)
lature stand the sculptures of sixteen composers. The original figures were replaced in the 1960s by new ones, in view of war damage as well as changed musical tastes. In the recess on the Hajós utca side the second figure from the right is of Stanislaw Moniuszko (1819-72). Moniuszko is regarded as the creator of Polish national style in music who influenced its development especially via his vocal works. His best known work, Poland’s national opera Halka, was first performed by the Hungarian Opera House in 1952 and was on the programme for five years. Moniuszko’s 2.75-metre statue was carved from limestone by Károly Antal in 1965. The name Moniuszko was carved in gilded letters in 1987, in harmony with the statues of the other composers. Back to history: from the 1867 Compromise to the present Around the turn of the 19th and 20'h centuries there was no independent Poland on the maps of Europe. The territory of what used to be Poland had been divided into three and the parts annexed to Russia, Prussia and Austria in the late 18th century. The imperial military leadership developed fortifications, the greatest of which were around Przemysl. Construction started in 1873 and the main structural elements of the system were ready by 1888. The line of defensive fortification was extended and modernised continuously up to 1914, so when World War 1 broke out, Przemysl was the third strongest fortification in Europe after Verdun in France and Antwerp in Belgium. The fortress along the river San came under Russian blockade at the very beginning of the war. The 120,000 defending troops, mostly Hungarians, were defeated by hunger rather than the besieging Russian forces. Having run out of food, and with their last attempt to break out on 19 March 1915 forced back, the defenders blew up the armoured fortifications and their heavy artillery guns. Thus the Russians could only occupy the ruined fort. Decimated by disease and starvation, the remnants of the troops were taken 31
