Unveiling of the monument of Imrich Liftenfeld. (source: Courtesy of the civic association FABRIKart)
A monument to the creator of the world-famous Krav Maga self-defence system has been unveiled in Bratislava.
The life-size statue of Imrich “Imi” Lichtenfeld, a versatile athlete and protector of Bratislava’s Jewish community in the lead up to and during WWII who grew up and spent most of his life in the city, was officially unveiled on Tuesday, March 26.
Šimon Chyla, a student of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, who created the work, explained that the sphere Lichtenfeld holds in his hands symbolises fragility and vulnerability and is at first glance destined to be destroyed by the sharp shards coming up towards him.
“But Imi comes in as the protector of the weak and not only defends the weak, but also bestows upon them a gift with which they will be able to defend themselves in the future,” Chyla explained. “This gift is none other than Krav Maga and serves all of humanity as an eternal inheritance from Imi.”
The installation of the monument within the new Zuckermandel development was initiated by the civic association FABRIKart whose intention is to remind the public of significant personalities of Bratislava.
“The place where the monument stands today carries a deep symbolism of Imi's unwanted departure to Israel,” said Andrej Aleksiev, chairman of the association, at the unveiling.
It will be displayed here for the next year before following the same journey Lichtenfeld made on the Pentcho steamer to Palestine. It will then return to Bratislava a year later.
Lichtenfeld was born on May 26, 1910 in Budapest, but spent his childhood and youth in Bratislava. He became a successful athlete and created the self-defense system Krav Maga (translated from Hebrew as close combat).
In June 2018, a plaque on Židovská Street 1 was unveiled to commemorate him.
