Marx as a Migrant – A digital narrative

Karl Marx lived a long life as a migrant. Fleeing from the Prussian state, censorship and possible arrest, important stops on his journey were Paris, Brussels and London. These cities shaped his political activities, his engagement with political fellow-travellers, as well as his intellectual development and thus his entire work.

At the click of a mouse, you can follow Marx as a migrant from city to city. You can not only immerse yourself in his time, but also discover that even today, traces of his life and work continue to be seen in Paris, Brussels and London.

Each station takes about 45 minutes.

Contact: info@marx200.org

Marx as a Migrant

  • London
  • The Raging Year

The “Raging Year” 1848

Marx had the “raging year” behind him. The February Revolution of 1848 in France had shaken Europe. Uprisings had also occurred in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy. They were directed against hunger, poverty and the semi-feudal order, while seeking to establish national unity, political freedom and constitutions.

In May 1848 in Cologne, one of the hot spots of the German Revolution, Marx had set up the “Neue Rheinische Zeitung” newspaper – one of the most famous papers in those revolutionary years. The editorial staff included Friedrich Engels, Georg Weerth, Wilhelm Wolff and other members of the Communist League.

In order to support the revolution and collect money for the newspaper, Marx – after being expelled from Belgium – had travelled through Europe and Germany, until the uprisings of May 1849 were finally quashed. Now the Prussian editors were threatened with persecution, “non-Prussians” like Marx again with expulsion. He again returns to Paris. But he cannot stay there.