Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
17 days ago
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
19 days ago
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
21 days ago
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Chemnitz Karl-Marx-Monument

Karl-Marx-Monument

One of the largest busts in the world celebrates the German city's erstwhile namesake.

Chemnitz, Germany

Added By
Dewi Hughes
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  pixel-liebe/cc by-sa 3.0
  pixel-liebe/cc by-sa 3.0
Nischel by day.   RobbyBer/cc by-sa 3.0
Nischel at night.   André Karwath aka Aka/cc by-sa 2.5
  public domain
The unveiling in 1971.   public domain
  Reinhard Höll/cc by-sa 3.0
  derWaliser / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This mammoth bust of Karl Marx stands in the center of Chemnitz, a city that during the days of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) in former East Germany was named Karl-Marx-Stadt ("stadt" meaning "city"). You may think that a city named after Karl Marx would have some connection to the socialist thinker, be it his birthplace or one-time residence or at least a place he liked traveling to. But this Saxony city has no connection whatsoever to the man who inspired the likes of Lenin's Bolsheviks.

Rather, in 1953 the communist government decided to rename the city in honor of the 70th anniversary of Marx's death. Not only that, it decided to erect an enormous bust of the icon in the center of town.

To this day, the bust is a landmark of the city—despite it being renamed Chemnitz once more after German reunification. The actual head is over 23 feet (7.1 meters) tall, and in total the bust weighs 40 tons and stands over 42 feet (13 meters), making it one of the largest busts in the world. On the bronze wall behind the hulking head the phrase "workers of the world, unite" is inscribed. 

Officially called the Karl-Marx-Monument, the bust was designed by the Soviet sculptor Lev Kerbel, and the bronze pieces that comprise the wall—all 95 of them—were cast in Saint Petersburg, shipped on over, and welded into place before being unveiled in 1971. The iconic bust is locally referred to as "Nischel" (meaning "head" in the old Saxon dialect) and is a common meeting point amongst locals, many of whom often proudly and affectionately still refer to the city by its erstwhile moniker, Karl-Marx-Stadt.

Related Tags

Statues Sculptures Soviet History Communism Names Busts

Know Before You Go

The bust is open to everyone. It stands on the side of the road close to the city center.

Community Contributors

Added By

derWaliser

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

January 16, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Karl-Marx-Monument
10 Brückenstraße
Chemnitz
Germany
50.83595, 12.923298
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Lulatsch'

Chemnitz, Germany

miles away

Naturalienkabinett Waldenburg

Waldenburg, Germany

miles away

Terra Mineralia

Freiberg, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chemnitz

Chemnitz

Germany

Places 2

Nearby Places

'Lulatsch'

Chemnitz, Germany

miles away

Naturalienkabinett Waldenburg

Waldenburg, Germany

miles away

Terra Mineralia

Freiberg, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chemnitz

Chemnitz

Germany

Places 2

Related Places

  • The Lacrosse Players, by Elmer P. Petersen, was dedicated in 1981.

    La Crosse, Wisconsin

    'The Lacrosse Players'

    This downtown statue pays tribute to the Native American game that gave the city of La Crosse its name.

  • Imre Nagy

    Budapest, Hungary

    Statue of Imre Nagy

    A much-loved sculpture depicting the hero of a 1956 anti-Soviet uprising.

  • Moscow, Russia

    'Worker and Kolkhoz Woman'

    An iconic Soviet statue of working-class people.

  • Havana, Cuba

    El Cristo de la Habana

    A colossal statue with a controversial past, forgotten for more than 30 years.

  • Minsk, Belarus

    Minsk KFC

    Remnants of the city's Soviet history hover over this modern fast-food outlet.

  • The coyote fountain of Coyoacán.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Fuente de los Coyotes

    In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

  • Manchester’s Engels Statue.

    Manchester, England

    Soviet Engels Statue

    Manchester salvaged this sculpture of the adopted Mancunian when it was no longer wanted in Ukraine.

  • Karl Marx Karlovy Vary

    Karlovy Vary, Czechia

    Karl Marx Monument

    A larger-than-life statue of the German revolutionist stands proud in a small town where he never lived.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.