Robert Austin Markus, (8 October 1924 – 8 December 2010), born Róbert Imre Márkus, was a Hungarian-born British historian and philosopher best known for his research on the early history of Christianity. Early life Róbert Imre Márkus was born in Budapest, Hungary on 8 October 1924. Both of his parents were Jews with strong ties to Christianity. His father, Gyözö (Victor) Márkus (1897–1971), was the director of a heavy engineering firm which had been founded by Robert's grandfather Márkus Lajos, originally a locksmith. Robert's mother, Lili (Lily) Elek (1900–1962), was the daughter of the manager of an enormous forest in Osijek, modern-day Croatia. She was an internationally recognized ceramicist. Robert's father had converted to Lutheranism as a young man, but later regretted his decision and applied for readmission to the synagogue. Márkus was baptized in the Lutheran church as an infant. Education Márkus attended the Áldás elementary school in Budapest, and later boarding schools in Lausanne and Bern. His family emigrated to England in 1939 and settled in Glossop, where his father and uncle had arranged with the local MP Hugh Molson, Baron Molson to establish Ferrostatics, a small engineering factory at Hollingworth. The factory was soon producing precision machine tools for the manufacture of Spitfires, which enabled the family to avoid internment as enemy aliens on the Isle of Man. After the war, Ferrostatics continued with precision engineering for major companies, such as Imperial Chemical Industries, and was eventually sold to the Chloride Electrical Storage Company. Márkus completed his high school education at Kingsmoor School, Glossop. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Manchester as a chemistry student. Márkus had originally sought to study philosophy, while his father wanted him to become and engineer and assume control of the family business, and chemistry thus became a compromise choice. At the university he came under the influence of Professor of Physical Chemistry Michael Polanyi. As a chemist Márkus was exempted from military service during World War II, and instead served as a works chemist at a The Co-operative Group margarine factory in accordance with the wartime Essential Work Order. After the war, Márkus began studying philosophy at the University of Manchester. Here befriended his professor Dorothy Emmet, who had a major influence on him. His 1948 MA on Samuel Alexander, and his 1950 PhD on Cartesianism, were both supervised by Emmet. At Manchester, Márkus belonged to a circle of future