Ronald Reagan in Budapest today, say what?

Ronald Reagan in Budapest today, say what?

Today, like any other warm Saturday morning, I went for a walk down and decided to pop down to Liberty Square in the 5th district of Budapest. Actually I've been there numerous times over the years and was always wondering about the history of this place. Today, amongst some of the interesting things to see, you'll find the American Embassy, the 'mammoth-like' State TV building, a few cafes and places to eat, hundreds of visiting tourists at any given moment and a few interesting memorials and statues.

For example, let start with...

'Liberty Square' – (the name itself) - Well, if we go back in history, the name of the square, Liberty Square, actually goes back to the 19th C to pay homage to the attempt of the Hungarians to secede and gain independence from the Austro-Hungarian, Habsburg-ruled, empire. The attempt didn't succeed, but the name stuck.

'Soviet Memorial' – When the Russians came in to kick out the Germans and the end of WWII, this memorial was built by the Russians to pay respect to themselves and all the Soviet soldiers who lost their lives. In most of the Eastern bloc countries, these memorials have been taken down, but the obelisk memorial in Budapest is still there to be appreciated in the square.

'German Memorial for the victims of Hungary' – Just a few years ago, this memorial was erected by the Hungarian government to commemorate the victims of Hungary who suffered under the German Occupation at the end of WWII. There is a huge controversy about the actual relevance of this memorial with regards to actual, factual history and people are out there almost daily disputing the matter. Right in front of the memorial, pictures and personal belongings of Jewish victims of the Holocaust are placed to dispute the intended meaning of the memorial. Put on your history hat and make sure you read up on the matter before you go.

'Ronald Reagan' statue – Of all things, what the heck is he doing here ? It's not because the US Embassy is right opposite his view, it's due to his 1987 speech he gave in Berlin in which he asked, the then Russian President, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. Symbolically this ended the whole Soviet era and the Russians left Hungary and all the Eastern bloc countries. The new era, which still presides today began. So go over to former US president Ronald Reagan, thank him for his contribution to all of us and Hungary, shake his hand and take a picture with him.

I did :)

Enjoy the entire park. There are 2 playgrounds for kids, a Liberty Square caffe and many benches to just sit down and relax.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, please upvote it, resteem it and follow me @RandySimor