Germany : Karl Marx hometown unveils huge statue on 200th birth anniversary

BERLIN (AP) — A larger than life statue of Communist philosopher Karl Marx was unveiled Saturday on the 200th anniversary of his birth in the western German town of Trier.

The celebratory uncovering of the 4.4-meter (14-foot) bronze statue of Marx, donated by China, sparked criticism by some who blame Marx for crimes committed by social revolutionaries in Russia, China and elsewhere in the name of Communism.

The Chinese leader’s Communist Party say they have drawn wisdom from the German philosopher, who co-authored The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels in 1848. The pair are considered to be the founding fathers of communism, a political theory in which property and resources are owned by a classless society and not by individuals.

His comments coincided with a visit from EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who stopped by to open a series of exhibitions as part of Marx’s birthday celebrations.

He said in a speech: "Karl Marx was a philosopher, who thought into the future; had creative aspirations.

"Today he stands for things which he is not responsible for and which he didn't cause, because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite."

Jean-Claude Juncker at the Trier cathedral  😃 
Unveiling a statue of Karl Marx in Trier, Germany — a gift from China to celebrate the bicentennial of the philosopher's birth — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the prophet of communism has been misjudged. He "stands for things which he is not responsible for and which he didn't cause because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite," the BBC reported Juncker as saying.

Traffic light with the image of Karl Marx in Trier, Germany. 

Souvenir shop

A car drives on the road named after Karl Marx in Trier, Germany, May 4, 2018.