Do we need the memory of Miklos Zrínyi?

Béla Ohmann’s Zrínyi statue in Székesfehérvár

Abstract

The Magyar Vitéz (Hungarian knight) statue in Székesfehérvár was made by Béla Ohmann in 1939–1940 for the headquarters of the Order of Vitéz. Based on the pen in the right hand of the sculpture, the sabre in his left hand, and the coat of arms of Zrínyi family at his feet, it is probable that the artist made the sculpture of Miklós Zrínyi (1620–1664). Documents show that the statue was officially called the Zrínyi statue before 1980. It was museum director Jenõ Fitz who first used the name Magyar Vitéz for the statue, which was carved on the statue by the Order of Vitéz in 2013. In my writing, I describe the history of the statue and the work I did to get its original name back to the statue.