The work, which honours the memory of the martyred poet and paratrooper, is part of a series of commemorations organised by the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Foundation and the Government of Hungary to mark the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust in Hungary.
The project was organised by Hungary's first firewall painting organisation, the Colorful City Group initiated by. The Hungarian Jewish Heritage Public Foundation (MAZSÖK) was the first to support the initiative on the occasion of the 80th Holocaust commemoration year, which was joined by the Municipality of the 2nd District of Budapest and the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary.
The 130-square-metre Hanna Senes fire mural was created by 6 people in 10 days. The firewall was in a crumbling state, so the art project was preceded by a serious conservation and insulation work.
The Hanna Szenes mural is the realization of a decades-long dream, a unique way to commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of Hanna Szenes. The person of Hanna Szenes and her newly completed mural stand as an example to the youth, as an embodiment of courage and patriotism," said György Szabó, President of the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Public Foundation.
Almost three years ago, the idea of immortalizing the memory of the Hungarian poet Hanna Szenes on a fire wall was born, when the Colourful City launched a series of murals featuring prominent, fictional, real and contemporary Hungarian women. Our aim is not to evoke the cult of heroism, as we have created more than 100 murals in the last 15-16 years, only a few of which fall within this theme. Still, it is important to initiate socially themed, artistic mural painting projects in line with our mission. The first mural in the series was a mural depicting Katalin Karikó on Krisztina körút, followed by the "Everyday Goddesses project, followed by the "The muse of Szeged", and now Hanna Szenes" - said Péter Flór, Secretary General of the Colourful Cities Group.
Hanna Senes was executed, but her memory lives on in Israel, where her name and her life's work are known from a very young age. She lives on in the Hungarian Jewish community, where her story, her determination and her courage are well known, and her memory lives on in Hungary, outside the Jewish community, thanks to initiatives such as the one we are taking today. The example of Hanna Szenes inspires us to stand up for the just causes, and there are just causes for which, if necessary, sacrifices must be made. This is especially important for us now, when the Middle East could go up in flames at any moment, and when anti-Semitism in many parts of the world is reaching unprecedented levels," said Prof. Dr. Andor Grósz, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary (Mazsihisz).
As the Mayor of District II, I believe it is important to remember the heroines of Buda, of whom we can all be proud. That is why we have named several public spaces after Buda women, including Magda Szabó, Ágnes Nemes Nagy, Irén Psota and Emmi Pikler, who have so far remained anonymous. We also cherish the memory of Hanna Szenes, who was martyred. While in Israel she is considered a national hero, in her homeland, Hungary, we have paid undeservedly little attention to her legacy until recent years. Yet Hanna Szenes, this poetess born into a middle-class family in Buda, is a role model for us all. We are proud of her, which is why we have erected a statue of her in the Széna Square Historical Memorial Park and why we support the creation of a mural on Frankel Leó Street, opposite the synagogue where she went with her family and where she was raised," said Gergely Őrsi, Mayor of the 2nd District.
The latest outdoor painting by the Colourful City group is based on a design by Emese Thamó and was created on the firewall of the apartment building at 78 Frankel Leó Street in Budapest.
