William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-09-01 / 9. szám
A statue of liberty The story and symbolism of the George Washington Statue in Budapest There is perhaps no American so revered and honored as George Washington. His name graces roads, schools, monuments and cities, including our nation's capital. His likeness is carved largerthan-life in the Black Hills of South Dakota and minted on the nation's currency. It's probably safe to say that nearly every day, every American sees, hears or touches something bearing the name or image of Washington. But, there is one representation of Washington that most Americans will never see. Most don't even know it exists. It is a statue of the first U.S. president which has stood for 93 years in Budapest's City Park. A gift from the Hungarians of America, the statue testifies first and foremost to the love of a people for both the land of their ancestors and the land of their descendants. Yet, it also stands as testament to the spirit and determination of one man: Tihamér Kohányi. Kohányi was the founder, editor and publisher of Cleveland's Hungarian language newspaper, Szabadság (Liberty). Like all Americans of Hungarian descent, he was proud of his heritage and his new homeland. He wanted to express those feelings in a concrete fashion which both people in America and Hungary could appreciate. Shortly after the turn of the century, Kohányi initiated and organized an effort to erect a statue of George Washington in Budapest. By 1902, the idea was beginning to receive broad public support in America. Three years later, in February 1905, the Budapest Washington Monument Association was chartered in Cleveland. Kohányi's newspaper published a booklet about the plans for the statue in English and Hungarian. It included copies of letters received by Kohányi from prominent Americans praising and supporting the idea. Governors, senators, congressmen, mayors, judges and editors -including William Jennings Bryan and former President Grover Cleveland—wrote in glowing words about the plan. The idea captured the imagination of thousands of Hungarian immigrants and fired the will of Hungarian American businessmen. They were devoted citizens of their new land, but they also had an affection and concern for the land of their birth. The erection of the statue was not to be a passing event, but rather a historical marker which would tie Hungary closer to America. 6 William Penn Life, September 1999
