Lady Liberty Receives a Disputed “Update”

The ongoing renovation of the Citadella and the iconic Liberty Statue in Budapest has recently come under scrutiny due to proposed changes to the monument’s original design. According to leaked plans obtained by the media, the renovation project, which is estimated to cost over 20 billion forints (approximately 54 million euros), will not only involve the restoration of the statue but also the addition of a large cross on the pedestal.

The Várkapitányság (Castle Headquarters), the organization overseeing the renovation, explained the decision on their website, stating, “We will place a cross on the pedestal, the most important symbol of the 1100-year-old Hungarian statehood, Western Christianity, and the European cultural sphere. We will erect a cross on the pedestal designed by the Stalinist Boris Iofan, where the statue of the Soviet soldier previously stood.”

However, this decision has been met with opposition from various quarters. The heirs of Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl, the sculptor who created the Liberty Statue, have expressed their disapproval of the plan to add a stone cross to the pedestal after being approached by the Art1st Design Studio, the firm responsible for the Citadella’s redesign. Despite this, the Várkapitányság appears to be moving forward with the project.

The renovation project has also faced criticism for other aspects of the redesign, such as the opening of the fortress walls on the north and south sides and the construction of a large staircase behind the Liberty Statue.

As the renovation work continues, with the statue’s pedestal and sculpture undergoing restoration and diagnostic work, the controversy surrounding the addition of the cross persists. The project’s completion, initially scheduled for 2023, has been pushed back to 2026, raising further questions about the renovation’s timeline and cost.

Image source: https://www.facebook.com/nemzetihauszmannprogram