Order of Karl Marx

Order of Karl Marx (Karl-Marx-Orden)
The Order of Karl Marx
Awarded by East Germany
Type	Order
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	May 5, 1953
First awarded	1953
Last awarded	1989
Ribbon bar of the Order of Karl Marx

The Order of Karl Marx (German: Karl-Marx-Orden) was the most important order in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The award of the order also included a prize of 20,000 East German marks.

The order was founded on May 5, 1953 on the occasion of Karl Marx's 135th birthday and on the recommendation of the GDR Council of Ministers. It was granted to individuals, enterprises, organizations, and military groups for exceptional merit in relation to ideology, culture, economy, and other designations. Additionally, citizens of other countries could also be awarded the order.