Unveiled September 1890 in the “Szabadság tér” (“Freedom Square”) of Arad (today “AvramIancu” square). Planned by Adolf Huszár and finished byGeorge Zala (due to Huszár’s death). In the center (top of base)stands “Hungaria”, holding a wreath in her right hand, a sword in the left.On the lower level four allegorical statues: in front the dual form of the “waking liberty”. The two side figures :” battle ready” and” sacrifice-ready”. The back figure is of the dying fighter.

At the unveiling present were the descendants of the martyrs and the widow of Gen. Damjanich. Attending also: Polish legionnaires. Guest of honor the famed painter Mihály Munkácsy with spouse. After the treaty of Trianon (1920) the Romanian authorities removed the statue and kept it in the city fort. (A military post).In 1999 as a gesture of reconciliation, the Romanian government consented to have the statue rehabilitated. Protests by local Romanians have delayed the reerection, pending which the monument was transferred into the care of the Catholic diocese in Arad. A monument at the execution site currently is remembered at the Oct 6 anniversary.

Lajos Kossuth, Hungary’s famed revolutionary leader sent a written and verbal message for the unveiling from exile in Turin,Italy. His voice was recorded on the (then) recently invented “Edisonphone” wax cylinder. (Now property of the Széchenyi library in Budapest). Click here for Kossuth’smessage