Schone Naci (Beautiful Ignaz) Statue, Bratislava

Visitors to Bratislava will encounter several whimsical statues scattered throughout the Old Town, but “Beautiful Ignác” is unusual because he depicts a real person. His real name was Ignác Lamár, a well-known local character who became a familiar sight on Bratislava’s streets and in its cafés and pastry shops during the first half of the 20th century.

Despite having little money, Lamár was remembered for dressing with remarkable elegance. He wore a tailcoat, top hat, polished shoes with spats, gloves, and often carried a walking stick. As he strolled through the city center, he smiled at passersby, occasionally sang songs, and greeted women courteously with the phrase “I kiss your hand”, speaking in Slovak, German, or Hungarian—a reflection of Bratislava’s multilingual character at the time. He reportedly worked at various jobs, including as a theater propman or stagehand, and also earned money by performing small household tasks for local residents.

Lamár spent his final years in Lehnice, where he died in 1967. Although he was initially buried there, his remains were transferred in 2007 to Ondrejský Cemetery in Bratislava, fulfilling his wish to rest in the city with which he had become so closely associated.

Today, Schöne Náci continues to greet visitors near the junction of Rybárska Brána Street and Main Square. The life-size statue was created by Slovak sculptor Juraj Meliš and unveiled on July 26, 1997, as part of the revitalization of Bratislava’s Old Town pedestrian zone. Contrary to descriptions that call it a bronze statue, the figure is actually made of aluminum alloy and stands about 6 feet 4 inches high, excluding its base. Náci is depicted smiling in his characteristic tailcoat and raising his top hat politely to passersby.