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 Workshop of Capital

Studying for the “Critique of Political Economy”

During the years in Grafton Terrace, Marx continues his economic studies. The British Museum’s library has opened a new reading room and Marx enjoys access to this since summer.

His walk to the library now takes an hour – leading past the locks in Camden with their barges carrying grain to the farmers in Islington and the breweries in Clerkenwell. Past the building site for the Metropolitan Line, the world’s first underground, and past the platforms of the new station in Kentish Town. The former comes into service in 1863, the latter five years later. Soon they will replace the canals and locks as transport routes and shipping points.

Marx is said to have often sat in the New Reading room for up to 12 hours, in seat G7, by the reference books. In August 1857 the first economic crisis breaks out. Marx and Engels are expecting the proletarian revolution to erupt, and Marx wants to have his economic critique ready in time.