Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On November 28, 2010, the Chinese Embassy in Berlin donated a statue of Friedrich Engels to the German city of Wuppertal. Engels was a 19th century philosopher born in what is now Wuppertal and is known as the founder of scientific socialism. The gift was intended to establish communist-capitalist friendship between China and Wuppertal. First discussions of the idea occurred when Ma Kai, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Deputy Prime Minister, was a guest at the Wuppertal Historical Center on November 28, 2010. Professor Chenggang Zeng, director of the Chinese Sculpture Institute, was commissioned as the artist. Zeng visited Wuppertal in October 2011, and in April Engels-Haus Museum director Doctor Illner made a return visit to the studio in Beijing and discussed various designs with the artist. The bronze statue is 3.85 meters tall, for a larger-than-life representation. Engels is represented as an older adult, although Illner would have preferred to see Engels portrayed as a young revolutionary. On November 6, 2013, the cultural committee of the city of Wuppertal approved the project (with one abstention each from representatives of three regions), and on November 18th the council gave final approval. The city of Wuppertal noted that their main motive for accepting the donation was the prospect of Chinese tourists and close economic ties to China, more so than the commemoration of Engels. On May 7, 2014, a shipping company picked up the statue from Zeng Chenggang's studio in Beijing. A Russian company, AirBridgeCargo Airlines LLC, was commissioned by the Chinese government to bring the statue to Germany. On May 8, 2014, a Boeing 747-8, arrived in Moscow. At Sheremetyevo Airport, the workers transferred the statue to a connecting flight. The same day the statue landed in Frankfurt ahead of schedule, where it was supposed to stay for a few days. On May 13, 2014, Engels arrived at Düsseldorf Airport in the back of a truck and went through customs. On June 5, 2014, around 10 a.m., workers installed the statue in the Engels Garden and mounted it on his steel base. The inauguration of the statue on June 11, 2014, was attended by by Wuppertal Mayor Peter Jung, Ambassador Shi Mingde, Professor Zeng, and Wuppertal citizens. Afterwards, there was a public Chinese-German cultural festival and the ambassador signed the city's Golden Book. The unveiling of the statue was met with controversy, including demonstrations against Chinese censorship and pro-Marxist demonstrations. Chinese tourism to Wuppertal increased since the inauguration.