(MTI) - The famous statue was knocked down by an angry crowd as part of Hungary's anti-Soviet uprising on October 23, 1956. The museum has bought the 30-centimetre (12 inch) bronze piece from a private owner, and the relic will become part of the gallery's permanent exhibition, Vilmos Gal said.
The museum ended up paying only 500,000 forints (EUR 1,800) for the piece, after nobody had offered to pay the price of 2 million forints set at an auction, Gal added.
The ear can now be seen together with the gigantic Stalin statue's right wrist, which the museum bought in the 1980s from a Hungarian actor, who had got hold of the piece at the site of its demolition.
The 8-metre Stalin statue was erected to stand on a 18-metre stand in 1951 on a main avenue where ceremonial marches had been held during the communist regime.
In the uprising it became a main target because it represented Soviet dominance over Hungary.
Official commemorations to mark the anniversary of the 1956 revolution start later in the day.
