Karl Marx monument

The Karl-Marx-Denkmal stands in Frankfurt (Oder) beside the Lennépark at the end of Karl-Marx-Straße. Created in 1968, it marks the 150th birthday of Karl Marx with a bronze bust on a three-step terrace. The design came from local artist Arnd Wittig, working with city architect Manfred Vogler. A nine-metre column behind the bust carries Wittig’s altered quote from Marx: “The theory became a material force.” City workshops and state firms built the stonework and concrete elements in a few months. The monument was listed by Brandenburg soon after it opened. Its bronze head, about 1.20 metres high, faces the broad avenue so passers-by see Marx framed by the park’s lime trees. The inscription was chosen to show Marx’s influence on real power, not just ideas. Fritz Cremer’s earlier bust, already owned by the city, supplied the bronze for the new head. Visitors find the statue on a raised platform reached by wide steps. The column rises behind, its letters cut deep into the grey surface. Around the terrace, the Lennépark keeps its straight paths and old lime avenues, giving a quiet setting for the monument. After repairs in 2021 the paved area was reduced so the statue sits closer to the trees. The ensemble remains a clear example of 1960s public art in the city.