Sándor Petőfi's memorial plaque in Losonc

The last stop on Sándor Petőfi's 1845 trip to the highlands was Losonc, where he spent a week and wrote two poems. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the poet's death, a memorial service was held in Losonc on July 30, 1899, during which the house where Petőfi stayed was marked. The black marble tablet with gold letters was surrounded by a terracotta frame, with a lute, a feather, a gold star, and a laurel wreath. It was made by József Csordás (1861-1909), a local sculptor and stonemason. In 1945, like all Hungarian monuments, the Petőfi tablet was removed. In 1950, the leadership of the local Csemadok managed to have the tablet reinstalled, and solemnly, on the 105th anniversary of Petőfi's visit to Losonc. On July 30, 1950, the town's population, accompanied by the brass band of the Apatfalus cloth factory, marched to the platform in front of the flag-draped "Petőfi House", where István Nagy, the chairman of the local group of the Csemadok, opened the ceremony. The central leadership of the Csemadok was represented by Károly Pathó. Representatives of the local, district and district party and state leadership also gave speeches. After the unveiling of the memorial plaque, which - according to the Csemadok chronicle - "was received with great enthusiasm by the large number of those present", Petőfi's poem "Towards Freedom" was recited in Slovak, and the one beginning with "A thought troubled me..." in Hungarian. The re-inauguration of the memorial plaque ended with the singing of the 80-member mixed choir of the Csemadok. The celebration continued with a cultural program in the great hall of the Town Hall. In 1975, a commemorative plaque in Slovak was placed above the original plaque. ; ; Events: Wreath-laying ceremony as part of the Kármán Days, a stop on the sightseeing tour of Hungarian groups.