A statue of Karl Marx has been erected in the revolutionary philosopher's hometown in western Germany. The sculpture has proven a controversial addition to the community — not least because it was a present from China.
The huge bronze figure was mounted atop a pedestal right in front of the former Marx family home, but it won't be unveiled to the public just yet. That spectacle has been reserved for his birthday on May 5.
Marx, one of the fathers of socialist thought, authored the "Communist Manifesto" in 1848 and later "Das Kapital" (Capital), both of which had a significant impact on the politics and conflicts of the 20th century.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels monuments in Germany
The two fathers of socialism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, are controversial figures in Germany. There are nevertheless many monuments dedicated to them throughout the country.
Image: picture-alliance/ZB
A present from China
China offered to donate a 6.3-meter (20-foot) statue of Karl Marx to the German city of Trier, where the philosopher was born, for his 200th anniversary in 2018. After intense debates, the city council decided to accept the gift. Pictured here is the wooden dummy that was previously set up to give an impression of what the statue would look like.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Tittel
Reflecting on Marx
Trier celebrated another anniversary of the political thinker in 2013, 130 years after his death. The German conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl installed 500 plastic Marx figures in front of the impressive Porta Nigra. The artist aimed to provoke a discussion on the historical figure and the legacy of his works.
Image: Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images
Friedrich Engels in a thinker's pose
The four-meter-tall bronze sculpture of the other philosopher of communism, Friedrich Engels, is a bit smaller than the planned Marx statue in Trier. This Engels monument in his hometown, Wuppertal, was also made by a Chinese artist and offered by the government of China in 2014.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Kaiser
Spiritual brothers
The Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels monument in Berlin shows both authors of "The Communist Manifesto" together. The short work was published in 1848. The East German government had this monument, built in 1986, dedicated to the fathers of communism. After it had to be moved during construction works in 2010, Marx and Engels were turned to make them look towards the West, instead of the East.
Image: AP
Carved in stone
A huge Karl Marx monument can be found in Chemnitz - a city that was named after him until 1990. The 13-meter-high monument is the second largest bust in the world. On a wall behind the bust, Marx's well-known phrase from "The Communist Manifesto," "Workers of the world, unite!" is written in four languages: German, English, Russian and French.
Image: picture alliance/Arco Images/Schoening
Marx instead of Bismarck
This memorial stone in Fürstenwalde, a town located in former East Germany, used to feature the first chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck. The Prussian was replaced by Karl Marx in 1945. After German reunification, the bronze was stolen and the city council had to decide if a new one should be dedicated to Bismarck or Marx. The latter obtained this new plaque in 2003.
Image: picture-alliance/ZB/P. Pleul
Relief with potential for conflict
Karl Marx is also depicted on this bronze relief, called "Aufbruch" (Departure). For over 30 years, it decorated the main entrance of the Leipzig University, formerly named after the thinker in East German times. It was moved during renovation works in 2006, leading some to argue it should disappear completely. Finally, the relief was set up on the Campus Jahnallee with an explanatory text.
"The glorifying Marx monument is a poisonous gift from China," said Ulrich Delius, director of the Society for Threatened Peoples, adding that it was "sad," that the city had accepted a statue from a government that "commits state terror against its own people."
Dieter Dombrowski of the Union of Victims' Associations of Communist Tyranny called the gesture "bizarre."
Marx was "not just a scientist and philosopher," he said. He also "laid the spiritual foundations for the communist dictatorships that came afterwards."
The artwork donated by China has proven controversial with citizens of TrierImage: picture alliance/dpa/H. Tittel
Trier's council voted to accept the gift in early 2017. Councillor Andreas Ludwig said the statue, created by Chinese artist Wu Weishan, wasn't about glorifying Marx's ideology but rather aimed to encourage discussion about his work. He added that it was important to maintain ties with China given that the city is visited by 50,000 Chinese tourists annually.
"Karl Marx is one of the biggest citizens in this city and we should not hide it," Trier Mayor Wolfram Leibe said.
The statue depicts a pensive Marx in a frock coat stepping forward with his left foot. City authorities said it would be guarded overnight in the leadup to next month's unveiling ceremony.
Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in Trier and spent the first 17 years of his life there. The city in Germany's wine-growing Mosel region has planned around 300 events to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth.
