Leipzig Marx Relief Undergoes First Major Cleaning in 50 Years
In Leipzig, the bronze relief 'Aufbruch,' which features a towering four-meter head of Karl Marx, is currently receiving its first thorough cleaning since the 1970s. Weighing 33 tons and measuring 14.4 by 6 by 3 meters, the piece is supported by scaffolding while four restorers from Haber & Brandner work to eliminate oxidation and grime. This cleaning process, anticipated to last six to seven weeks and costing approximately 50,000 euros, is financed by the Free State of Saxony. Previously displayed at Karl Marx University until the 1990s, it was reinstalled in 2008. Ingo Fischer supervises the restoration, while curator Rudolf Hiller von Gaertringen highlights its historical importance.
Key facts
- The Marx relief 'Aufbruch' in Leipzig is being cleaned for the first time in about 50 years.
- The cleaning costs around 50,000 euros and is funded by the Free State of Saxony.
- The relief is 14.4 x 6 x 3 meters, weighs 33 tons, and features a 4-meter-tall head of Karl Marx.
- The restoration is being carried out by the Berlin firm Haber & Brandner.
- The work was created in the 1970s by Klaus Schwabe, Frank Ruddigkeit, and Rolf Kuhrt.
- It originally hung on the main building of the Karl Marx University, was later stored in three pieces, and reinstalled in 2008.
- The cleaning will take six to seven weeks and aims to remove harmful oxidation and dirt without removing the patina.
- The project is overseen by the Saxon State Office for Property and Construction Management.
- The relief is considered culturally and historically important as an example of East German art.
- The restoration firm has previously worked on the Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate and the Neptune Fountain in Berlin.
Entities
Artists
- Karl Marx
- Klaus Schwabe
- Frank Ruddigkeit
- Rolf Kuhrt
- Jana Leukert
- Bert Noack
- Rudolf Hiller von Gaertringen
- Ingo Fischer
Institutions
- Haber & Brandner
- University of Leipzig
- Karl Marx University
- Saxon State Office for Property and Construction Management
- Free State of Saxony
Locations
- Leipzig
- Germany
- Berlin
- Brandenburg Gate
- Neptune Fountain
- Rotes Rathaus