Freedom is Not Free

A kneeling Hungarian Freedom Fighter holds a Hungarian flag, with a hole in the middle (a reference to student protests in Budapest, in which students cut the communist symbol from its place in the center of the national flag). The statue is located in Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza in Cleveland, and was dedicated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

The inscription reads: "October 23, 1956. 'Freedom is not Free.' In honor of the many Hungarian Freedom Fighters who fought against Soviet oppression. The crack in the Berlin Wall began with a hole in a flag in Budapest! 'October 23, 1956, is a day that will live forever in the annals of free men and nations. It was a day of courage, conscience, and triumph. No other day since history began has shown more clearly the eternal unquenchability of man's desire to be free, whatever the odds against success, whatever the sacrifice required.' - John F. Kennedy"

The sculpture was commissioned by the 50th Anniversary Committee of the Hungarian Revolution. The inscription is on the front of the marble base; the other three sides bear the names of individuals and organizations involved in erecting the statue.