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

Despite intermittent differences of opinion in diplomacy Hungary did not forget the Polish legions which had unselfishly joined its freedom fight. The Hungarian-Polish Association launched a campaign to erect a statue in remembrance of the Polish legionaries who had fought in the war of 1848-49 and in World War I. The idea soon became reality, and the monument of the Polish legionaries was unveiled in Kőbánya in 1934, where a 5000 Polish refugees were living at the time.

The original idea was to put up the monument in Kápolna tér or Apaffy utca (presently Kőér utca), but the environment was not found to be suitable. The imposing monument was thus placed in Népliget among the trees of the park. The street leading to it was named “Polish Promenade” in 1935.

The statue, which was placed on a five-metre pedestal, was the work of Béla Farkas. The bigger- than-life size figure of a Polish soldier is shown with his sword drawn, defending the Holy Hungarian

The monument of Polish legionaries

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