Spišská Sombat 1848 Monument

A small monument is modestly hidden in the main square of the Saxon town of Szepeszombathely, which is rich in monuments and has a medieval atmosphere, and is representative, in the parkland east of the town hall. It is so inconspicuous that even Hungarian-language guidebooks and websites usually forget about it. However, it was once erected to commemorate the 1848-49 revolution and war of independence, on its fiftieth anniversary. Although the Szepeszég was not one of the main theaters of war, the Hungarian, German and Slovak population of the area nevertheless participated in the events. After the 1867 compromise, it was now possible to openly commemorate the heroes of this event of outstanding importance. And the anniversary - as elsewhere, in many parts of the country - provided a great occasion for it. All the more so because many of the participants in the former events were still alive. ; The pedestal of the romantic-style obelisk in Szepesszombat, carved from white, hard limestone, is a simple column. The elongated, truncated pyramid-shaped column rises from its upper plane. The following text can be read on the four planes of the pedestal, decorated with plastic ornaments and stylized attics on its upper ledge: On the front side, the year written in a laurel wreath: 1848, and on the other three sides, the following text is distributed: "In memory of the Hungarian War of Independence, Szepes-szombat was erected by the XVI Szepes[esi]. city from a public donation in 1899, out of love for our dear Hungarian homeland". ; The monument is interesting because public works with a Hungarian connection, especially those commemorating Hungarian historical events, almost without exception fell victim to vandal attacks by Czechoslovak nationalists after 1918 and 1945. This is especially true for areas where there was no longer a large Hungarian population at that time, who could have saved the works. We do not know the authentic history of the monument in Spišská Sombat, but we are not far wrong if we assume that it owes its survival to the inscription in Slovak (Na pámět vo svetovej válke padlých - in memory of the fallen in the World War) engraved on the western side of the obelisk afterwards - after 1918, which "transformed" the entire work and saved it. "Sure is certain", the Hungarian turul bird with outstretched wings, originally cast in metal and located at the top of the obelisk, was also removed from the monument.