Karl Marx memorial in Highgate cemetery 'will never be the same again' after vandals attacked it with a hammer

• A 'deliberate and sustained' attack was perpetuated on the Grade I monument
• The damage was discovered on Monday evening and police were called
• Karl Marx was buried in Highgate after he died in London in 1883
• He is considered the Father of Communism - an abhorrent ideology to many

A memorial to the Father of Communism - Karl Marx - has been attacked with a hammer and 'will never be the same again', a charity has said.

The marble plaque at Highgate cemetery which carries Marx's name, along with his wife and grandson, had been chipped by a blunt instrument likely to have been a hammer.

The Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust, who run the cemetery in north London, said the monument was hit over the weekend in what looked like 'a deliberate attack on the memory of Karl Marx himself'.  

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The grave of German philosopher Karl Marx at London's Highgate Cemetery seen after it was vandalised with a hammer

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Marx was buried together with his wife by their friends in Highgate Cemetery, the couple were re-interred to a more prominent site in the graveyard in 1954 to honour Marx's historical significance

Ian Dungavell, the trust's chief executive, said: 'His name has been singled out, although the person wasn't particularly coordinated.' 

The 'deliberate and sustained attack' on the Grade I-listed monument, which puts it on a par with the most important buildings in the country, was 'very upsetting', he said.

'It will never be the same again, and will bear those battle scars for the future.

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Visitors at the bust of Marx which has stood above his grave since 1954

'It's already scarred with traces of paint and previous damage.

'I'm really cross about it because it's a particularly inarticulate form of protest and it's not going to win any fans.

'On a human level, I'm upset when anyone destroys a grave. To do something so mindless is particularly upsetting.'

The history of the marble plaque was 'quite complicated', Mr Dungavell added.

It was first used on the grave of Marx's wife Jenny von Westphalen in 1881 and was moved when the remains of Marx and his wife were exhumed and re-interred in a more prominent location in the cemetery in 1954.

The original grave was 'not felt to be a suitable marker for someone of such international significance'.

The monument is owned by the Marx Grave Trust, which is represented by the Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell, which will make any decisions about future repairs, Mr Dungavell said.

But he added that the monument's Grade I-listing means 'you don't rush in to do these things quickly'. 

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'Workers of All Lands Unite': Marx wrote 'The Communist Manifesto' and is considered to be a hero to many for his ground-breaking theory of sociology and economics

'We will be seeking specialist advice.'

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 17.12 on Monday February 4 to reports of criminal damage to a memorial in Highgate Cemetery, N6. No arrests have been made.

'Initial inquiries have been completed and at this stage the investigation has been closed. If any further information comes to light, this will be investigated accordingly.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6670733/Karl-Marx-cemetery-memorial-never-vandals-attack-hammer.html 

NWN : oh dear !  It hasn't been whacked for quite a few years.