Prohászka László: Polish Monuments - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2001)
his dates of rule, Saint Ladislas (1077-1095), while its rear plane reveals the following: Hail merciful king Saint Ladislas / most cherished defender of Hungary / a precious pearl among holy kings, a shining star among stars. / PEER CODEX. (The Peer Codex is a book of prayers written before 1526. Its most beautiful piece is the Song of Saint Ladislas). Rising one and a half metres above ground, the base is decorated on both sides with two reliefs carved in limestone. The inscription on the left-hand side runs: Saint Ladislas / rescues the abducted girl, the one on the right-hand side has the words 1095-/ he is elected leader of the Crusaders. Small-scale porcelain replicas of the statue are manufactured and sold by the ceramics factory of Herend. The most outstanding public sculptural group in Budapest is the Millennial Monument in Heroes’ Square, which was made for the one thousandth anniversary of the Magyar conquest. When construction was launched in 1896, nobody thought that it would take until 1929 to be complete. (Construction was suspended for several years because of World War I and the subsequent period of economic hardship.) Designed by Albert Schickedanz, the colonnade is arranged in two quarter-circles and features the statues of the most outstanding Hungarian statesmen, the second from the left being one of Saint Ladislas. Sculpted by Ede Teles in 1911, it portrays the king in a majestic pose, resting his right hand on his battle axe. The head was modelled after Ladislas’s famous 14th century reliquary bust in Győr cathedral. The bronze relief on the base, made by György Zala, portrays the story of Saint Ladislas fighting against the Kun warrior who had abducted a Hungarian girl. The royal statue at the right-hand end of the same colonnade is another testimony to the artistic skill of György Zala. It commemorates Louis the Great (1326- 82), king of Poland and Hungary, the characteristic lilly-decorated Anjou crown on his head, his left hand resting on his broadsword. It was erected in 1927. Louis the Great is commemorated not only by statues in public places but also by sculptural elements 8
