The Fat Policeman (Rendőr) bronze statue by András Illyés, Zrínyi utca, District V, Budapest, Hungary
The Fat Policeman
András Illyés · “Rendőr” (Policeman), also called the Pocakos rendőr or Békebeli rendőr, life-size bronze, set up 20 October 2008 · corner of Zrínyi utca and Október 6. utca, District V, Budapest
Photo: Silverije, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
A round-bellied policeman in a spiked helmet stands on the pavement where Zrínyi utca meets Október 6. utca, a short walk from St Stephen’s Basilica. He is bronze, life-size and has no pedestal. Sculptor András Illyés dressed him in the dress uniform Budapest’s beat officers wore between 1909 and 1945, and an MTI news report of 20 October 2008 says the district mayor and the national police chief unveiled him that day. Visitors rub his belly, which is why it shines. The newest dated photo we found was taken on 27 September 2026.
5 things to know
- Set up in October 2008The community-run public art register Köztérkép lists “Felállítás: 2008. október 20.” (“Installed: 20 October 2008”), the day of the MTI report on the unveiling. Romanian-Hungarian daily Népújság in 2013: “Illyés András szobrászművész 2008 októberében avatott zsáneralkotása” (“sculptor András Illyés’s genre statue, unveiled in October 2008”). Köztérkép · Hírextra/MTI, 2008 · Népújság, 2013
- A 1909–1945 dress uniformWe Love Budapest: “az 1909-1945 közti időszak egyenruháját viseli, fején az ismert Zrínyi-sisakkal” (“he wears the uniform of the period 1909–1945, with the well-known Zrínyi helmet on his head”). Hungarian Wikipedia and Köztérkép describe the same uniform. We Love Budapest · Wikipedia (HU) · Köztérkép
- Officer number 235Népújság: “az azonosítószáma szerint 235-ös posztos közrendőrt. A számot a derékszíja csatján tüntették fel.” (“the beat constable whose ID number is 235. The number is shown on the buckle of his belt.”) The front-on dated photos from 2009 to April 2026 show it. Népújság, 2013 · Commons 2009
- Not everyone liked himThe 1909–1945 uniform recalls the Horthy era, and the statue drew criticism when it went up. Népújság: “vitákat is kirobbantott a médiában” (“it also set off arguments in the media”). Köztérkép quotes a Népszava article of 22 October 2008 titled “Horthy.rendőr [sic] a Belvárosban” (“A Horthy policeman in the Inner City”). At the unveiling, mayor Antal Rogán said the statue was meant to make people forget the negative image some have of the police, according to MTI. Népújság, 2013 · Köztérkép · Hírextra/MTI
- Modelled on a grandfatherWe Love Budapest says the figure “egy régi pesti alakokat ábrázoló karikatúra és a művész nagypapája inspirált” (“was inspired by a caricature of old Pest characters and by the artist’s grandfather”). A 2015 Budapest blog says the finished figure got the build of the sculptor’s grandfather. Neither quotes the artist. We Love Budapest · Mr. Foster blog, 2015
Check-in guide
- 📍
- On the pavement at the corner of Zrínyi utca and Október 6. utca in District V, a block south of St Stephen’s Basilica (Köztérkép, Wikipedia (HU)).
- 👮
- He stands at street level with no pedestal, so you can walk right up to him. Look for 235 on the belt buckle and the shiny belly (Népújság).
- 🧭
- The Maps button uses the coordinates on the Commons category for the statue, 47.500504, 19.050959.
Sightings
- 200820 Oct
MTI: unveiled
- 200920 May
Commons photo
- 20114 Jul
Commons photo
- 201322 Feb
Népújság visit
- 20144 Sep
Flickr photo, on Commons
- 201626 Sep
Flickr photo, on Commons
- 201920 Nov
Commons photo
- 202325 Dec
Commons photo
- 20262 Apr
Tagzania photo, on Commons
- 202627 Sep
Commons photo
Every stamp links to the dated source. Green stamps are photos taken at the statue with a recorded date, all on Wikimedia Commons: by Yoav Dothan (2009), Godot13 (2011), Rob Stoeltje on Flickr (2014), Dennis G. Jarvis on Flickr (2016), Fauvirt (2019), Bybbisch94 (2023), Inhar through the Tagzania app (April 2026) and Yair-haklai (27 September 2026). They all show the same figure with the spiked helmet; the front-on photos also show the sabre and the number 235 on the belt. The amber stamps are the MTI news report of the unveiling on 20 October 2008 and a Népújság writer’s visit described in February 2013. The photo at the top of this page is on Commons with the date 11 April 2025, but the Christmas lights in the shop windows suggest it was taken in winter, so we do not count it as a sighting.
On the record
Rendőrszobrot avattak Budapesten
“a Zrínyi utca és az Október 6. utca találkozásánál elhelyezett alkotást Rogán Antal polgármester és Bencze József országos rendőrfőkapitány leplezte le hétfőn.” Rogán: “békebeli képet szeretnének felidézni az életnagyságú ‘pocakos rendőr bácsi’ szobrával.”
“The work placed where Zrínyi utca meets Október 6. utca was unveiled on Monday by mayor Antal Rogán and national police chief József Bencze.” Rogán: “they want to recall a peacetime image with the statue of the life-size ‘pot-bellied policeman’.” The national news agency’s report of the unveiling.
Zsánerszobrok Budapesten
“Rendőr áll a Zrínyi és az Október 6. utca sarkán. Mozdulatlan, mintha a földbe cövekelték volna.”
“A policeman stands on the corner of Zrínyi and Október 6. utca. Motionless, as if he had been staked into the ground.” A visiting writer for the Marosvásárhely daily describes the bronze, the 235 on his buckle and the 2008 arguments.
12 budapesti szobor, és egyből tudod, merre jársz a városban
“2008-ban tették ide posztolni a bronzból készült életnagyságú figurát”
“The life-size bronze figure was put here to stand guard in 2008.” Csaba Csáki’s list of Budapest statues that work as landmarks puts the policeman first.
Köztéri futamok, a kétezres évek, Magyarország
“az Október 6. utca és a Zrínyi utca sarkán posztoló Békebeli rendőr (Illyés András, 2008)”
“the Peacetime Policeman (András Illyés, 2008) on duty at the corner of Október 6. utca and Zrínyi utca.” Art critic Tibor Wehner on the wave of nostalgic genre statues in Hungarian towns.
The facts
- Artist
- András Illyés (Illyés András), Hungarian sculptor (Köztérkép, Wikipedia (HU), Népújság, Kortárs) Checked
- Title
- “Rendőr” (Policeman) (Köztérkép) Checked. Also called “Pocakos rendőr” (Pot-bellied policeman) and “Békebeli rendőr” (Peacetime Policeman) (Köztérkép, Kortárs, XpatLoop); in English it is usually the Fat Policeman. Love From Hungary says it is officially “Guardian of Order”, which is the literal English meaning of rendőr; we found no official record of that title (Love From Hungary) Reported
- Made
- 2008 (Köztérkép, Wikipedia (HU), We Love Budapest, Commons, Fauvirt) Checked. Set up on 20 October 2008 (Köztérkép); an MTI report of the same day says district mayor Antal Rogán and national police chief József Bencze unveiled it (Hírextra/MTI) Checked
- Uniform
- The 1909–1945 dress uniform of a Hungarian beat constable, with the Zrínyi helmet (We Love Budapest, Wikipedia (HU), Hírextra/MTI) Checked
- Material
- Life-size bronze, standing straight on the pavement with no pedestal (Köztérkép, We Love Budapest, Népújság, Hírextra/MTI) Checked. About 1.7 m tall, according to Love From Hungary, which calls the figure “anecdotal” (Love From Hungary) Unconfirmed
- Place
- Corner of Zrínyi utca and Október 6. utca, District V (Belváros-Lipótváros), Budapest (Köztérkép, Wikipedia (HU), XpatLoop, Commons, Dennis G. Jarvis) Checked. Budapest.city gives the address as Zrínyi utca 4 (budapest.city) Reported
- Idea
- Made for a competition, and inspired by a caricature of old Pest characters and by the artist’s grandfather, according to We Love Budapest (We Love Budapest) Reported. XpatLoop says it is said to depict a late-1800s newspaper cartoon character, András Mihaszna (XpatLoop) Reported
- Custom
- Visitors rub the belly for luck; budapest.city adds that it is meant to bring you back to Budapest (budapest.city, Love From Hungary, XpatLoop) Reported. The polished belly shows in the dated photos (Commons 2019, Commons 2026) Checked
- Our photo
- The photo above shows the same statue as the dated Commons photos: the spiked helmet, the sabre and 235 on the belt buckle (Commons 2009, Commons, April 2026) Checked. The Street Art Utopia post shows a visitor rubbing the belly.
- Status
- Seen September 2026: Commons photo taken 27 September 2026 (Commons, Yair-haklai) Checked
Related
- On Street Art Utopia: Couldn’t Resist (8 Photos) (11 October 2026), where a visitor rubbing the statue’s belly appears as work no. 1.
- András Illyés’s other works in the Hungarian public art register. Köztérkép
- Tibor Wehner on the nostalgic genre statues of Hungary’s 2000s, from the Little Princess on the Danube promenade to this policeman. Kortárs
All sources (19)
This work
- Köztérkép: “Rendőr”, public art register entry no. 2835, updated 15 August 2026. Illyés András, bronze, installed 20 October 2008, corner of Október 6. u. and Zrínyi u.; quotes Népszava, 22 October 2008.
- Wikipedia (Hungarian): “Zrínyi utca”, the 2008 bronze genre statue of a policeman in the 1909–1945 dress uniform at the corner of Október 6. utca.
- Népújság: “Zsánerszobrok Budapesten”, N.M.K., 22 February 2013. Illyés András, October 2008, number 235, the media arguments.
- We Love Budapest: “12 budapesti szobor, és egyből tudod, merre jársz a városban”, Csáki Csaba, 20 February 2023. Competition entry, 1909–1945 uniform, 2008, life-size bronze, the grandfather.
- Kortárs: “Köztéri futamok, a kétezres évek, Magyarország”, Wehner Tibor, November 2014. “Békebeli rendőr (Illyés András, 2008)”.
- XpatLoop: “Insider’s Guide: Top 7 Statues in Budapest with Fascinating Backstories”, Peterjon Cresswell, 11 July 2023. Location, 2008, the cartoon story, belly rubbing.
- Love From Hungary: “Statues of Budapest: the Fat Policeman”, Julia Kravianszky, 13 January 2020, updated 20 January 2026. Illyés András, 2008, “Guardian of Order”, about 1.7 m.
- budapest.city: “The Fat Policeman Statue (Kövér rendőr szobor)”, 5 February 2024. Zrínyi utca 4, 2008, the luck custom.
- Mr. Foster kalandozásai Budapesten: “5 titokzatos szobor legendája Budapesten”, 6 February 2015. Illyés András, since 2008, the grandfather’s build.
Dated photos
- Commons: “Statue of a Hungarian policeman by András Illyés, 2009”, Yoav Dothan, taken 20 May 2009.
- Commons: “Pocakos rendőr statue, Budapest, Hungary (2011) 02”, Godot13, taken 4 July 2011.
- Commons: “Police officer statue, Budapest”, Rob Stoeltje, from Flickr, taken 4 September 2014.
- Commons: “Hungary-02433 – 1900’s Policeman”, Dennis G. Jarvis, from Flickr, taken 26 September 2016.
- Commons: “The Fat Policeman Statue at Zrinyi street Budapest – November 2019”, Fauvirt, taken 20 November 2019.
- Commons: “20231225.Zrinyi utca.-019.2”, Bybbisch94, taken 25 December 2023.
- Commons: “Budapest – Budapest District V – Tagzania – 1775122770918”, Inhar, Tagzania app, taken 2 April 2026.
- Commons: “Pocakos rendőr statu”, Yair-haklai, taken 27 September 2026.
Context
- Hírextra (MTI): “Rendőrszobrot avattak Budapesten”, 20 October 2008. Unveiled that Monday by Antal Rogán and József Bencze; Rogán’s and Budapest Galéria director Attila Zsigmond’s words.
- Commons: “Budimpešta, vojnički kip u središtu grada”, Silverije, CC0. The photo at the top of this page.
Artwork File · Last checked 11 October 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files