Meeting two 'writers' in Budapest

 In ‘conversation’ with Gyula Krúdy

By Bala Menon

Budapest: Here I am In ‘conversation’ with Gyula Krúdy, one of Hungary’s most famous writers (1878-1933). This bronze sculpture is on the side of  Ferenciek Square on Duna Street in downtown Budapest.

With the Gyula Krúdy statue. Pic: ©Bala Menon

Gyula Krúdy, who was also a journalist, was connected to the area, because he wrote most of his famous ‘Sindbad’ stories  in the Downtown Cafe that was a popular haunt for intellectuals, adjacent to the southern Klotild Palace.

  

Krúdy’s life in Budapest coincided with the boom in the city in the early part of the 20th century and the start of what was called ‘The Golden Age of Coffee Houses’. Most of the magnificent buildings in the city were built during this period. 

Krúdy’s works, published in Budapest from 1978–89, ran to twenty volumes. ‘The Adventures of Sindbad’ is a collection of surrealistic tales that weaves fantasy with reality and connect the idea of death with life. 

One of his books - ‘Life is a Dream (1931) is a collection of ten stories, which Penguin Books describe as ‘a world where editors shoot themselves…men attend duels incognito and lovers fall out over salad dressing.’

The statue of Krúdy was designed by Márk Lelkes and Krisztián Máthé. Today, there is a permanent exhibit on Krúdy's life at the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism in a building in Obuda in which he lived for the last three years of his life. There is another statue of Krúdy in the spectacular Central Market Hall - the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest, built at the end of the 19th century.

... and face to face with 'Anonymous' 

Budapest: I came face to face with the huge, two-metres high, bronze statue of  ‘Anonymous’ on the grounds of the Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest (which now houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum).

The bronze statue of 'Anonymous. Pic: © Bala Menon

(My  concept of ‘anonymous’ was mostly of a person without an overt identity or some online hacker group which had gained prominence in the past few years or just nameless entitles like Alchoholics Anonymous and the like.)

The imposing statue that towered over me — on a solid marble base — is of a hooded, mysterious figure, holding a book in one 

hand and a pen in the other. It is said that visitors who touch the tip of the pen, get inspiration to become good storytellers. 

 

(Yes, I did touch the pen!) 

As Questoapp.com says: ‘This enigmatic statue reminds us that history is often told by voices from the shadows.  The Statue of Anonymous is not just a monument; it's a portal to a past shrouded in legend, inviting all who pass by to ponder the stories untold.’

The Hungarian Agricultural Museum. Pic: © Bala Menon

Under the hood, the eye sockets of the statue are empty. Sculpted in 1903 by Miklós Ligeti, the statue is of Anonymus Bele Regis Notarius  - Anonymous Notary of King Béla III, who is noted for his classical work  Gesta Hungarorum ("The Deeds of the Hungarians”). 

The book, written in the 12th century, talks of the (Magyar) Hungarian capture and occupation of the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe in the late 9th and early 10th century.

 

The gothic Vajdahunyad Castle is richly ornamented with carvings on its walls and there are several other statues on its grounds. The structure is similar in style to the Hunyad Castle in Transylvania in Romania.