Especially beautiful at night, this statue is a monument to those who gave their lives for the independence and freedom of Hungary.
The Liberty Statue (Szabadság-szobor), or Freedom Memorial, has a prominent position on Gellért Hill in central Budapest on the western side of the Danube River. View it when you visit the Citadella, the giant fortress occupied first by the Hapsburgs and later by the Soviets.
After World War II, the people of Hungary were grateful for the support the Soviets had given them during the war, helping them to be liberated from their occupation by Nazi Germany. They erected this statue to honour their saviours. The 46-foot (14-metre) statue is made of bronze, and stands atop a pedestal nearly twice that height. The figure holds a very large palm leaf overhead. The original inscription was translated as: “To the memory of the liberating Soviet heroes [erected by] the grateful Hungarian people [in] 1945.”
Within a few years, the Soviet liberation was being perceived as one more oppressive occupation. By October of 1956, student protest turned into active rebellion. Soviets even fired on Budapest citizens from the Citadella. Over 20,000 people died early on and thousands more over the next two decades as the Hungarians and Soviets maintained the conflict.
Finally, by 1988, Soviet hold was loosened and Hungarian patriots recovered control of the city and country. They very quickly changed the statue inscription to reflect the more recent events. Note the difference in the current inscription, which can be translated as: “To the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom and prosperity of Hungary.” (1989)
Along with the Liberty Statue, there are two other statues at the Freedom Memorial. Stand at the base of the three statues to imagine the feelings of Budapest’s citizens several generations ago.
View the statue for free at any time of day or night. See it from above from atop the Citadella at the top of Gellért Hill or reach its base by foot, bus or car along the Citadella sétány.
