Hungarian Freedom Park
October 23, 1966 – The park was dedicated as Hungarian Freedom Park on the 10th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. October 27, 1968 – The park’s ’56 memorial was unveiled; it was the first memorial in North America dedicated to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The artwork: The bronze relief of the monument was created by Zoltán Popovits, a sculptor of Eger origin living in Finland. His relief depicts a young man attempting to break through the Iron Curtain; beneath it is an inscription cast in bronze that reads: “In Memory of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.” Thirteen iron candlesticks on the monument’s base symbolize the 13 glorious days of the revolution. The monument is a 25-foot-tall, rectangular column of crushed granite. Unveiling ceremony (October 27, 1968). The monument was funded through public donations. A total of 121 people made donations, the largest of which was contributed by Count István Perényi, a local resident. The list of donors also includes Archduke Otto of Habsburg, who supported the creation of the monument with the second-largest contribution of $500.
In memory of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising.
The Revolution Triumphed:
March 25, 1990 – Free Elections.
June 19, 1991 – Soviet Troops Depart.
“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain”
— Lincoln
“It cannot be that so many hearts shed their blood in vain…”
— Vörösmarty
Stories about this memorial
I lived in Denver for half a year. I was truly amazed to find that they considered remembrance important there as well—and what’s more, it was here in Denver, in a small park, that the first such commemoration in North America took place.
Lisztes Eszter · October 2026