Today in History – 14 October

İnönü sculpture remains hidden for years

Among the projects urbanist Henri Prost proposed for İstanbul was the demolishment of the Artillery Barracks in Taksim and the construction of a promenade park as an extension of the green band that would stretch from Dolmabahçe to Nişantaşı. The project was brought to life by then-İstanbul governor Lütfi Kırdar and the first public park built during the Republic era of İstanbul was thus opened.

In 1944, a decision was made to place a sculpture of President İsmet İnönü at the side of the Gezi Park facing Taksim Square. The sculpture was commissioned to German sculptor Prof. Rudolf Belling, who had fled the Nationalist Social Regime of Germany in 1937, sought refuge in Turkey, and was appointed as the head of the Sculpture Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in İstanbul.

As the sculpture was in process, a pedestal was built at the entrance of Gezi Park. However, before it was set on this pedestal, members of the Democrat Party, which came to power in 1950, had the sculpture stored in a warehouse. After it was kept there for years, finally, in 1982, the sculpture depicting İnönü on horseback was erected at Taşlık Park in front of İnönü’s house in Maçka.

The other İnönü sculpture by Belling is in the garden of the School of Agriculture at Ankara University.