Hungarian Monuments in Cleveland

The oldest Hungarian monument in Cleveland is the statue of Lajos Kossuth, erected in 1902.

Other Hungarian monuments can be found at Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza in downtown Cleveland, on the third floor of the Cleveland Public Library downtown branch, in the Hungarian Cultural Gardens, and at Sunset Cemetery in North Olmsted.

Living monuments with ongoing cultural activities include 8 different churches, the Cleveland Heritage Museum in the Galleria mall downtown, the Hungarian Scout Center near the West Side Market, and the Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio club grounds in Hiram.

Lajos Kossuth

1802 – 1894

  • Hungarian Statesman
  • Minister of Finance
  • Chairman of the Defense Committee
  • Governor of Hungary
  • Political leader of the Hungarian War of Independence in 1848-1849
Lajos Kossuth in Cleveland

  • He visited Cleveland on January 31, 1852
  • Was welcomed by an enthusiastic audience
  • An exclusive reception was held at Weddel House in his honor
  • After his visit, industrial and commercial activities flourished
  • Statue was dedicated in 1902 with 26,000 people in attendance
  • The base of the statue contains soil sent in 1902 from historical places, battlefields, and cities throughout Hungary
Statue of Lajos Kossuth

on University Circle (Euclid Ave & Stearns Rd, next to the Case Western University campus)

INFORMATION ABOUT KOSSUTH AND HIS STATUE

Select Speeches of Kossuth

Lajos Kossuth Remembered at His Statue in Cleveland

Lajos Kossuth Statue in Cleveland, Why Kossuth is Great, and Hungarian Organization Ties

Kossuth Szobor Emlékkönyv – IN HUNGARIAN

Cardinal

Joseph Mindszenty

1892 – 1975

  • Archbishop of Esztergom
  • Last princely primate, cardinal
  • One of the largest figures of the Hungarian Catholic Church in the 20th century
  • The defining figure of the 1956 Revolution
  • He visited Cleveland in 1974
A bust of Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty
  • A bust was erected in 1977 in downtown Cleveland
  • At Lakeside Avenue and East 12th Street
  • Between the Doubletree Hotel and the Clev. Dept. of Water
  • The plaza is called Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza
  • The bust was sculpted by Gyuri E. Hollóssy.
  • Mindszenty visited Cleveland in 1974

Anonymous Hungarian Freedom Fighter of 1956

HUNGARIAN FREEDOM FIGHTER OF 1956

Cleveland Mindszenty Plaza

  • Placed directly north of the bust of Mindszenty on Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza.
  • The figure has an anguished look on his face and holds a Hungarian flag with a hole torn from the middle.
  • The statue was commissioned and dedicated in 2006 for the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956

SÁNDOR PETŐFI

1823 – 1849

  • One of the most famous poets of the Hungarian language

  • Known for his folksy style and fervent patriotism

  • The bust is on the third floor of the Cleveland Public Library downtown branch

  • Scupted by Sándor Finta in 1929, it was dedicated in 1930

SZÉKELY KAPU

  • Traditional carved gates like these can be found throughout Transylvania
  • They often contain ancient Szekler runic writing and symbols
  • The gate in the Hungarian Cultural Gardens is of wrought iron, donated by the Verhovay Aid Association, now known as the William Penn Association
  • The gate on the club grounds of the Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio was hand-carved; it measures three meters wide by seven meters tall

HUNGARIAN MEMORIAL AT SUNSET CEMETERY

6265 Columbia Road, North Olmsted, OH 44070

  • Sculped by Gyuri E. Hollóssy and dedicated in 1986
  • Contains a bust of Árpád, who led the ancient Hungarians into the Carpathian basin
  • Contains a bust of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary
  • The memorial also depicts a mythical Hungarian eagle called the turul