Józef Bem is one of those figures whose life story cannot be confined to a single national narrative. In Poland, he is remembered as a general of the November Uprising and a symbol of the struggle for freedom. In Hungary, he is known as Bem apó , ‘Father Bem’, one of the heroes of the 1848–1849 revolution. In Romania, his trail leads primarily through the former Transylvania: Brașov, Slimnic and Târgu Mureș.

During the Hungarian Uprising, Józef Bem assumed command of the Hungarian forces in Transylvania and the Banat. His campaign of 1848–1849 earned him a reputation as one of the most effective commanders of that phase of the revolution. One such place is Brașov . On the façade of a building in the Old Town there is a plaque commemorating Józef Bem’s stay in this house between 21 and 24 March 1849. The multilingual nature of the inscription is particularly interesting. The text is written in six languages, including Polish.

The third important site is Târgu Mureș. In the city centre stands the Teleki House, which served as a command centre during the events of 1848–1849. A plaque commemorating the general’s stay has been placed on its wall. This site has an additional significance, as during the Hungarian period a statue of Józef Bem stood in the town’s main square. Following the political changes after the First World War and the incorporation of Transylvania into Romania, the monument was dismantled.

The other two are located in Cluj-Napoca and in the village of Slimnic , where a plaque has been affixed to the façade of a building situated at the foot of the local castle.