Statue of Márton Áron
Year of unveiling
2009
Person/persons/event to whom the monument is dedicated
Márton Áron – Catholic bishop, imprisoned in the communist period, for his loyalty to his faith.
Localization
Piața Unirii, Cluj-Napoca 400000
Location in relation to the surroundings
It is located in the central area of the city of Cluj-Napoca, at the intersection of the main drive routes, close to the statue of Matthias Corvinus, the Bánffy Palace, which houses the Art Museum, the former city hall building, the National Bank and the Continental Hotel.
Text of the inscription
MÁRTON ÁRON (1896-1980)
General description
The statue of Bishop Márton Áron is a 2.9 metre high work of bronze, which is placed on an socle with a height of 80 cm.
Condition
Good
The circumstances of unveiling
The idea to build and exhibit the statue became a reality in 2001, when the Roman Catholic Parish of Cluj prepared a draft proposal in this regard. The project was won by a sculptor from Sovata, Bocskay Vince, who started the works in 2002 in Hungary. The statue was unveiled on the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of the Roman Catholic Archbishopric of Alba Iulia, the 670th anniversary of the building of the Saint Michael Church in Cluj, and the 70th anniversary of Márton Áron’s consecration as bishop in this church.
Later history
Bishop Márton Áron went down in history as one of the most representative figures who fought for the non-intervention of the state in the internal affairs of the Catholic Church. For his opposition against the concentration of Jews in ghettos and their deportation, the Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem from Jerusalem awarded him the title of Righteous Among Nations on 27 December 1999.
Contemporary importance
Bishop Márton Áron has remained in collective memory as a symbol for maintaining moral straightness and integrity within the Roman Catholic Church, in opposition to the communist regime. Place of celebration/commemoration for Roman Catholic believers, with wreaths being placed here annually to mark the anniversary of his birth and death.
Localization
Gallery
Cluj-Napoca, Județul Cluj.
Rumunia ,400000
