Tomb of Karl Marx

The Tomb of Karl Marx stands in the Eastern Cemetery of Highgate Cemetery, North London. The cemetery itself is divided into two parts by Swain’s Lane, with the Eastern side laid out in the 19th century as a romantic garden of serpentine paths and Gothic monuments. Marx’s grave was moved 100 yards within this section in 1954 to its present position beside a yew tree. The tomb was designed by the sculptor Laurence Bradshaw and unveiled in 1956 during a ceremony led by Harry Pollitt, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain. The tomb is worth the journey because it marks the final resting place of Karl Marx, his wife Jenny, their daughter Eleanor, and other family members. It also commemorates Marx’s housekeeper Helene Demuth, whose dates are inscribed alongside theirs. The memorial has drawn followers of Marxist thought from around the world, including anti-apartheid activist Yusuf Dadoo and Carnival founder Claudia Jones, who chose to be buried nearby. The tomb has faced repeated vandalism, including swastikas in 1960 and paint attacks in 2011 and 2019, leading to round-the-clock surveillance. Visitors find a large bronze bust of Marx mounted on a marble pedestal. The front of the pedestal bears the closing words of The Communist Manifesto, “Workers of all lands unite,” and a quote from the Theses on Feuerbach. The sides carry sculpted wreaths and a central panel listing birth and death dates for Marx’s family. The bronze head is described as colossal yet placed at eye level to convey the dynamic force of his intellect. The tomb is Grade I listed and remains one of the most visited graves in Highgate Cemetery.