The 1956 Revolution Monument, more commonly known as the Monument to the Uprising was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising and marks the spot where a 25 meter tall statue of Joseph Stalin once stood. The anti-Soviet, Hungarian uprising lasted less than one month from the 23 October, 1956 to the 11 November, 1956, and before the Soviet tanks were finished rolling through Budapest 2,600 Hungarians were dead and nearly 20,000 were injured.
The shining and rusting steel columns is an abstract representation of the battles that moved Budapest from a slowly crumbling Soviet outpost, to the new city on the edge of a rebirth. This monument, though strikingly beautiful in its simplicity, was (and is) not loved by all of those that took part in the uprising. Many in Budapest feel that the struggle is not adequately represented by the monument.
Monument to the Uprising Facts
- After the Hungarian uprising 250,000 Hungarians fled their country.
- The monument was built at the site where once stood a 25 meter tall statue of Stalin.
- The Monument to the Uprising while beautiful is not considered to be one of the top 100 things to see in Budapest. There are hundreds of things to see there so this is not too surprising.
- While many around the world consider the monument to be an art piece, it is not considered this way by Hungarians.
- The location is, Oetvenhatosok tere, City Park, Budapest 1145, Hungary.
