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Karl Marx
(1818-1883)


Biography

Marx was born in Germany to Jewish parents who became Christian while he was still a child. Marx went to study law at the university of Bonn at the age of 17, but then went on to study at the university of Berlin a year later, where he switched from law to philosophy. After graduating in 1841, Marx wrote many articles on social, political, and philosophical issues for, and was briefly editor of, the Rhenish Gazette (Rheinische Zeitung), a newly founded liberal newspaper. In 1843, Marx moved to Paris with his new wife, Jenny (born Jenny von Westphalen), to be co-editor of a journal called the German-French Annals. Unfortunately, the journal failed after its first publication, and the Prussian government issued a warrant for the arrest of the editors because of articles contained in the journal, so Marx became a political refugee and could not return to Germany. He returned to Germany for a short while during the attempted German revolution of 1848-49, where he started a radical newspaper, the New Rhenish Gazette. When the Prussian monarchy reasserted itself following the attempted revolution, Marx was tried for treason for his part in the revolution and was exiled. Marx lived in London for the rest of his life. In 1881 Marx's beloved wife Jenny died, and then in January of 1883, Marx's eldest daughter died. Marx, who never recovered from his loss, quickly developed bronchitis and died in March of 1883.

Works

Marx on the Web



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Last modified May 5, 1996.