Even more greenery, even more flowers and a new playground in one of Debrecen’s most important squares

From a historical perspective, the statue *Hungarian Sorrow*, created by the French sculptor Emile Guilleaume, is a work of art of great significance to us. Bem Square in Debrecen is a prominent location in the city simply because it is home to a replica of the statue symbolising Hungary mourning the fate of its children, who were taken away under the Treaty of Trianon, as well as the national flag. At the same time, the square is significant both geographically and in terms of its size: it is situated on the city’s main thoroughfare—Tram Line 1—which connects the Main Station with the Nagyerdő.

The roundabout where Füredi út, which runs off Main Road 33, meets Simonyi út is currently in the spotlight, partly due to the development work taking place there: according to document TED, the local authority is seeking a contractor for a comprehensive green space redevelopment project.

The project will also bring road improvements and a new playground

An area of more than 12,500 square metres is being developed by planting 68 trees, shrubs, grass and perennials, and an irrigation system is also being installed. A new playground is being created, featuring a play castle, a swing and a sandpit with a sunshade; in addition, the square’s fountain is being refurbished. In addition to all this, benches, seats, tables, new litter bins, cycle racks, traffic control posts and CCTV cameras will also be installed.

Road improvements form a separate section:

The park’s southern service road is being resurfaced with paving stones. In addition, the northern service road in the square is being rebuilt. Rainwater falling onto the carriageway will be absorbed by the green areas. The paving on the footpaths in front of the residential properties and at the memorial sites will also be renewed.

In addition, new park walkways are being built using decorative paving.

The redevelopment of the park ties in with the recently rebuilt Nyíl Street–Bem Square junction

According to the local authority’s previous announcement, the project prioritises environmental considerations.

One of the project’s objectives is to utilise rainwater falling within the urban area to maintain green infrastructure, and to ensure the orderly and damage-free drainage of excess water.

Flowerbeds will be created around the fountain. The lawns will be organised into larger sections, and plans are in place to create climate-tolerant tree-lined avenues, shrubbery borders and multi-tiered green spaces.

Recently, the town’s mayor also posted about the development on his Facebook page. According to László Papp, Bem Square will become greener and more flower-filled. He indicated that particular attention will be paid to the memorials located here, whilst they also aim to increase the amount of green space. He added that the park’s design will connect to the recently rebuilt Nyíl Street–Bem Square junction, and the contractor will incorporate the already completed pavement and pedestrian crossings into the project.

Our newspaper reported on the latter project in detail: the development was handed over in 2022 by the consortium comprising Debreceni Mélyépítő Holding Kft., Zemplénkő Kft. and KE-VÍZ 21 Zrt..