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LOSSENAU MONUMENT
„HOREA, CLOȘCA AND CRIȘAN” OBELISK
October 23, 2017
CUSTOZZA MONUMENT
October 23, 2017LOSSENAU MONUMENT
The monument is dedicated to Austrian Colonel Ludwig Losy von Losenau ( born in 1793), dead on February the 11th 1849, due to the wounds resulted in the battle from Simeria. Colonel Losenau was the commander of N III Cavalry Regiment and he was sent together with his unit to support General Puchner, the commander of the Transylvania troops, the Austrian army trying at that time to refute the attacks of Hungarian revolutionaries who were under the command of General Joseph Bem. In that battle, the Hungarians got a somehow surprising victory, which led, together with other important moments that week, to a complete occupation of Transylvania by the Hungarian revolutionaries.
The foundation stone of the monument was set in the presence of Franz Iosif himself, on July the 23rd 1852, the emperor being at that time in a journey throw Transylvania. Architectural and stylistic, it is considered to be a replica of small sizes of the monument “Victoria” from Timisoara (also dedicated to the heroism of the Austrian troops during the Revolution from 1848-1849). The work has the shape of a pyramidal tower, decorated with Neogothic elements. The metal plates from the four facades refer to Conel Losenau, to the sacrifice of other officers and to Emperor Franz Iosif, and on the niches from the four sides were put four symbolic statues, from which there still are preserved only the ones from the east and west sides.
Scientific consultant: Tudor Roșu, PhD historian
Translation made by: Ciprian Dobra, PR expert
The story of the Lossenau monument begins on February 11th, 1849, when in Simeria, the Hungarian revolutionary army faced the Austrian troops led by Ludwig Losy von Losenau. As a result of that battle, the Austrian commander was severely wounded and died a few days after. Although today little biographical data is known about the Austrian colonel, his death made Alba Iulia produce one more monument. The initiative for the erection of the monument belonged to the officers of the Habsburg army from the Alba Iulia garrison. The first stone was placed in 1852 in the presence of the emperor Franz Josef.
Located in the middle of the Citadel Square, the work is shaped as a pyramid tower and decorated with neo-gothic elements. The year of the battle in which colonel Lossenau was wounded, 1849, is written in the central area of the front façade of the monument. On each of the four sides of the monument there is a metallic plate with German inscriptions with information about colonel Lossenau, the sacrifice of other Austrian officers and about the emperor Franz Josef. The niches on each side of the monument are shaped as gothic windows. The ones on the western and eastern side display symbolic statuettes.
The Lossenau monument was recently restored, along with the rest of the works for the highlight of the Alba Carolina Citadel.
