Why Does Budapest Have An American President in Liberty Square?
The House of Terror and Liberty Square pay tribute to Hungary’s quest for freedom
I was following our tour guide through Budapest’s Liberty Square when he stopped the group and pointed to a larger-than-life bronze statue. “Do you know who this is?”
We shuffled closer, and I gasped. “Ronald Reagan? You have a statue of Ronald Reagan in your capitol?”
My next question echoed what many of us were thinking. “Why?”
The tour guide beamed. “Hungarians believe Ronald Reagan had a lot to do with the fall of Communism in our country. His famous words, ‘Take down that wall,’ started the whole thing rolling.”
The guide continued, “There are many who believe his economic policies led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. The people wanted to show their appreciation for your former president’s efforts in ending the Cold War.”
As I spent more time in Budapest, I noticed a recurring theme. The Hungarians felt oppressed and stripped of their rights when the Soviet Union controlled their country, and feelings…
