Statue of Lajos Kossuth in Losonc

At the funeral of Lajos Kossuth - honorary citizen of Losonc - in 1894, the town of Losonc was also represented. After that, a movement was launched with the aim of having a statue of Kossuth made and erected. The Losonczi Independent Craftsmen's Art Enthusiasts' Association, the Hungarian Table Society, and the Kossuth Lajos Table Society were at the forefront of this. In 1907, the town assembly decided to erect a statue of Kossuth and to provide an appropriate amount for this. 4,000 crowns were collected for the cost of the statue from association and private donations, and from the income offered by theatrical performances. The statue committee headed by Mayor Sándor Wagner commissioned local sculptor József Csordás to create the work. However, Csordás died, but his widow offered to have the statue made by another artist based on the existing plan and budget. Barnabás Holló, a sculptor, died out of respect for his fellow artist, and at his widow's request, he was willing to make the statue according to his own ideas. The sculpture committee agreed with the renowned artist to cast the figure of Kossuth in bronze and to carve the base. Holló was a much-employed artist of his time; in addition to the Kossuth statue in Losonc, his better-known works include the Tompa Mihály statue in Rimaszombat, the King Matthias statue in Sajógömör and the Bocskai István statue in Hajdúböszörmény. The artist described his Losonc creation as follows: "Kossuth, in a simple pose, reflects on the fate of the homeland and the glorious times of 1948, watered with blood. The wounded soldier placed on the pedestal symbolizes the destruction of the city of Losonc during the War of Independence, carved in Haraszti stone. The bronze-cast statue itself is 2 m 50 cm high, and the pedestal constructed of hard limestone harmonizes with it proportionally." The ceremonial unveiling took place on September 19, 1910, in the middle of Kubinyi Square, surrounded by the Catholic Church, the Vigadó, the City Hall and the Polgári Leányiskola. The ceremonial speech was given by Kálmán Beniczky, the general director of the high school, and the statue was received on behalf of the city by Mayor Sándor Wagner from the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Gyula Kujnis, who represented the sculpture committee. Among Kossuth's sons, Ferenc was present. The statue of Lajos Kossuth, highly regarded by the people of Losonc, stood for just over 8 years in the middle of the square from which the street bearing his name (today's Vajansky Street) opened. In January 1919, when the Czech military occupied Losonc, the metal structure was removed overnight - apparently to make the change of power more visible. The stone guard on the pedestal with the broken flag reminded of the barbarity of 1919 until 1925. When the authorities removed the pedestal of the Kossuth statue, despite the decision of the city council, it was placed in the garden of the castle of landowner Dr. Béla Szilassy, a senator of the Prague parliament. In 1939, it was returned to its original place to serve as a pedestal for the national flag. In 1945 it was moved again, this time to the garden of the Reformed church. In 1978, during the restoration of the church, the statue of the soldier was moved to the garden of the Nógrád Gallery, where it has remained ever since. In 2002, a figure made of wood and tin, "The Defender of Nógrád", was erected in the place of the Kossuth statue, with explanatory text in Slovak and Latin. ; Before 1919, it was a place for commemorations and wreath-laying.