Beneath the sky in Budapest stands a testament to camaraderie. It is the Lengyel Légió emlékmű. Have you ever paused to consider the stories etched in stone? The Lengyel Légió emlékmű stands as a tribute to Polish and Hungarian soldiers. These soldiers fought together in the Polish Legions. They participated in the 1848-1849 War of Independence. They fought in World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik War. They fought on Hungarian and Polish soil.
This limestone statue resides in Népliget. You will find it on Lengyel sétány. The Lengyel Légió emlékmű was erected in 1935. Pankotai Farkas Béla created it.
In the 1920s and 1930s many Polish-Hungarian organizations began operations. Their goal was to develop Polish-Hungarian relations. This included economics, politics and culture. They wanted to promote the rapprochement of Hungary and Poland after Trianon. Hungary and Poland were isolated.
Albert Nyáry and Ferdinánd Leó Miklóssi were prominent figures in this work. During World War I they distinguished themselves. In the name of the Hungarian-Polish Association they sent a circular to the authorities. In it they demanded the restoration of Poland’s independence. Poland had lost its independence in the partitions. They recruited Hungarian volunteers for the Polish Legions. Later, the Hungarian Polish organizations they created erected public statues. The idea to erect the legionary statue came from Miklóssi.
Contemporary news reports announced the completion of the statue on September 7, 1934. The statue was raised “in memory of the Polish Legions who took part in the defense of the Carpathians”. It was not inaugurated until March 24, 1935. Prince József, Kálmán Kánya Foreign Minister and Andor Lázár Minister of Justice attended. Stanisław Łepkowski Polish envoy to Budapest and András Hory envoy extraordinary were also present. Ernő Nánássy-Megay Lieutenant General and Endre Liber Deputy Mayor attended as well. István Bárczy State Secretary, Gyula Wlassics State Secretary, and Iván Práznovszky were there. Baron Zsigmond Perényi, Károly Széchenyi and a delegation of Polish legionnaires visiting Budapest also attended.
Władysław Belina-Prażmowski, a former legionary and Lembergi vajda, spoke. He turned to the many Hungarian legionnaires present. He said “Boys, you have written yourselves into Polish history.”
Not only the volunteers but Hungary also provided significant war aid. This aid was for Poland in its war against Soviet Russia between 1919 and 1921.
Béla Farkas Pankotai also made the Bátory memorial plaque for the Polish organizations. It was placed on the wall of the Reformed Church in Nyírbátor in 1933.
Before World War II celebrations and commemorations were frequent around the statue. Nowadays these are rare. The Lengyel Légió emlékmű and the surrounding park area were renovated in 2016.
The statue is approximately 6 meters high. The artificial stone base is 350 cm high. The limestone statue is 250 cm. The statue depicts a man dressed in Polish military clothing and a cloak. He wears a traditional square military cap. In Polish it is called rogatywka. The legionary holds the Hungarian Holy Crown in his left hand. He prepares to draw his sword with his right. He defends the Polish eagle.
The inscription reads: “IN MEMORY OF THE POLISH LEGIONS. ERECTED IN 1934”.
Here at the Lengyel Légió emlékmű we see a symbol of enduring friendship. It is a reminder of shared struggles. It also highlights the values that unite nations.