BERLIN — The German city of Trier has decided to accept a statue of Karl Marx from China, marking the 200th anniversary of the father of communism’s birth.
The city council voted 42-7 with four abstentions Monday night to accept the gift, according to news agency dpa. The statue’s precise location and size are to be decided following further negotiations with China.
Initial plans by Chinese sculptor Wu Weishan called for the statue and its pedestal to be 6.3 metres (21 feet) tall, leading to criticism from some in the city.
Statues and streets named after Marx were common in communist East Germany. Many survived the collapse of communism, unlike tributes to more contemporary socialists.
Trier, near the border with Luxembourg, was in West Germany. Marx was born there May 5, 1818.
The Associated Press
