Hajós György: Heroes' Square - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2001)
the Carrara marble statue was set up in 1932. As the piece was severely damaged in 1945, a bronze replica was made, which can now be seen where the original once stood. The Millenary monument A major factor in determining the character of the square is the country’s largest group of monuments, the sculptural composition proclaiming Hungary’s thousand- year history - the Millenary Monument. No other monument exists in Europe commemorating ten centuries’ worth of continuous statehood. Memorial sculptures are usually set up to mark a single momentous event or a brief historical period. That is precisely why the creation of this particular monument presented its makers with a unique challenge. At the 8 March 1882 board meeting of city magistrates, committee member Ferenc Ney tabled a motion for the public celebration of the millennial anniversary of Hungary’s statehood. Section 2 of the decision thus taken stipulated that “it is imperative that the glorious event be commemorated by some dignified, monumental public construction”. The board meeting submitted a recommendation made in this spirit to Parliament, which would, however, discuss the issue only 12 years later. In February of 1894, the proposal was discussed at a committee meeting of the House of Representatives, which concluded that the erection of a triumphal arch would be the most fitting act, but it also stipulated that the monument include a colonnade with the outstanding figures of the country’s past and present. Others argued that Prince Árpád’s statue should be erected on Gellért Hill, which would have required the reshaping of the hillside towards the Danube on a large scale. (Due to the high costs involved the plan was discarded.) The final decision was to have the monument installed at the end of Sugár út, which would also give a fitting closure to the street. Prime minister Sándor Wekerle was of the opinion that a triumphal arch be made and the figure of Árpád dominate the monument. The idea was not altogether new. Although plans for 18
