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

  • Brussels
  • Belgium 1845

Belgium: political freedom – economic hardship

February 1845 – Belgium has been in existence for 15 years and possesses one of the most advanced constitutions in the world at the time. It guarantees the secrecy of correspondence, religious freedom, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Nowhere else in mid-19th century Europe could immigrants live as safely as here.

Yet at the same time, social contradictions are growing mid-19th century Belgium. Industrial zones around Liège, Seraing and Verviers are expanding, while domestic production suffers a downturn. Above all, the Flemish weavers face abject poverty. To compound matters, severe crop failures occur in 1845 and 1846.