Hősök tere
| Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
 | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii,iv |
| Reference | 400 |
| UNESCO region | Hungary |
| Coordinates | 47°30′54″N 19°4′40″E / 47.51500°N 19.07778°E |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2002 (26th Session) |
  Location of Hősök tere in Budapest.
| |
Hősök tere (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈhøːʃøk ˈtɛrɛ]; meaning "Heroes' Square" in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. Its iconic statue complex, the Millennium Memorial, was completed in 1900, the square was named "Heroes' Square" in 1929.[2] It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of an extensive World Heritage site), next to City Park.
The site
Hősök tere is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or more accurately Hall of Art) on the right. On the other side it faces Andrássy Avenue which has two buildings looking at the square — one is residential and the other one is the embassy of Serbia (former Yugoslavian embassy where Imre Nagy secured sanctuary in 1956).
The central site of the hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial (also known as Millennium Monument or Millenary Monument) with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history (see below). The construction of the memorial was started when the one thousandth anniversary was celebrated (in 1896), but it was finished only in 1900 and the square got its name then.
When the monument was originally constructed, Hungary was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and thus the last five spaces for statues on the left of the colonnade were reserved for members of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. From left to right these were: Ferdinand I (relief: Defense of the Castle at Eger); Leopold I (relief: Eugene of Savoy defeats the Turks at Zenta), Charles III, Maria Theresa (relief: The Hungarian Diet votes support "vitam et sanguinem") and Franz Joseph (relief: Franz Joseph crowned by Gyula Andrássy) The monument was damaged in World War II and when it was rebuilt the Habsburgs were replaced by the current figures.
On the 16th June 1989 a crowd of 250,000 gathered at the square for the historic reburial of Imre Nagy, who had been executed in June 1958.
It is also a station of the yellow M1 (Millennium Underground) line of the Budapest Metro.
There are also three other squares in Budapest entitled Hősök tere, in Soroksár, Békásmegyer and Rákosliget.
Behind the cenotaph but within the decorative chain is a flat bronze plate which marks the site of an artesian well whose drilling was completed in 1878 by Vilmos Zsigmondy. This well provides water for the Széchenyi Baths behind the monument and the Dagály Baths in the Népfürdő utca. The well reached a depth of 971 meters and produces 831 liters of hot water per minute at 74 degrees Celsius
The Heroes' Square monument has a 90% duplicate in Shanghai Global Paradise, Shanghai. Since its opening in 1996, it has been mostly degraded and most statues removed.
Millennium Monument
At the front of the monument is a large stone cenotaph surrounded by an ornamental iron chain. The cenotaph is dedicated "To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence." While some guide books refer to this as a "tomb" it is not a burial place.
The back of the monument consists of two matched colonnades, each with seven statues representing great figures of Hungarian history.
This is a list of the statesmen who are portrayed by the sculptures in the semi-circular arcades of the monument. The topic of the relief below each figure is given below the name.
Statues of the Column
Directly behind the cenotaph is a column topped by a statue of the archangel Gabriel. In his right hand the angel holds the Holy Crown of St. Stephen (Istvan), the first king of Hungary. In his left hand the angel holds a two barred apostolic cross, a symbol awarded to St. Stephen by the Pope in recognition of his efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity. In Hungarian it is referred to as the double cross or the apostolic double cross.
At the base of the column is a group of seven mounted figures representing the Magyar chieftains who led the Hungarian people into the Carpathian basin. In the front is Árpád, considered the founder of the Hungarian nation. Behind him are the chieftains Előd, Ond, Kond, Tas, Huba, and Töhötöm (Tétény). Little survives in the historical record about these individuals and both their costumes and their horses are considered to be more fanciful than historically accurate.
Statues of the left colonnade
Topping the outer edge of the left colonnade is a statue of a man with a scythe and a woman sowing seed, representing Labor and Wealth. At the inner top edge of the left colonnade is a male figure driving a chariot using a snake as a whip representing War.
- St. Stephen receives the crown from an emissary of the Pope
- St. Ladislaus slays the Cumanian abductor
- Coloman of Hungary
- Coloman prohibits the burning of witches
- Andrew leads a crusade
- Béla rebuilds the country after the Mongol invasion
- Ladislaus IV defeats Ottogar at the battle of Marchfeld
- Louis the Great occupies Naples
Statues of the right colonnade
On the facing end of the right colonnade is a female figure in a chariot holding a palm frond representing Peace. In the corresponding position on the top of right colonnade is a statue of a man holding a little golden statue and a woman with a palm frond representing Knowledge and Glory.
- Matthias with his scholars
- István Bocskay
- Hajdú soldiers defeat the imperial forces
- Bethlen concludes a treaty with Bohemia
- Rákóczi returns from Poland
- Kossuth rallies the peasants of the Great Plain
Photo Gallery
The Millennium Monument
-
Heroes' Square – at night
-
Aerial
-
The column
-
The top of the column depicts Archangel Gabriel, who holds the Hungarian Holy Crown and the apostolic double cross in his hands
-
The statues of the basement of the column depict the 7 Hungarian chieftains led by prince Árpád
-
Man with a Snake the symbol of War
-
The female statue of Peace
-
The couple of Labor and Wealth (on the left colonnade)
-
The couple of Knowledge and Glory (on the right colonnade)
The buildings of the square
-
Kunsthalle Budapest at the right side of the Millennium Monument
-
Kunsthalle, The main Entrance
-
Museum of Fine Arts at the left side of the Millennium Monument
-
Museum of Fine arts: The main entrance
-
Behind the Millennium Monument: The Left side of gothic Vajdahunyad Castle
References
- Hajós, György, Heroes' Square, Municipality of Budapest (2001)
- Gerő, András, Heroes' Square Budapest, Corvina (1990)
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heroes' Square (Budapest). |
Coordinates: 47°30′55″N 19°04′41″E / 47.51528°N 19.07806°E