On May 5, 1818, Karl Heinrich Marx, son of Hirschel and Henrietta Marx, was born in Trier, Germany on the river Moselle.
Marx's grandfather on his father's side was a well-known rabbi in Trier. Both Marx's Uncle Samuel and his father, originally named Hirschel, devoted themselves to their work. Samuel (1781-1829) took the role of his father's occupation as Rabbi of Trier. Hirschel Marx (1782-1838) forged a different path with his life. He became a Justizrat, a lawyer, and abondoned his Jewish faith for Christianity in 1824 so that he could find success in his occupation more easily, rather than undergoing the nation's anti-Semitic lifestyle of the time. He took the first name of Heinrich. He later married Henrietta Pressburg, a Dutch Jewess, who came from a century-long line of rabbis. Henrietta Pressburg died in 1863. The pair at four surviving children at the time of their deaths: Sophie, Emilie, Luise, and Karl (Mehring).
Marx was born into a comfortable middle-class home. Marx has never spoken of any high school companions, and neither have they spoken of him. He completed his high school curriculum on August 25, 1835. During his high school career, Marx was credited with being able to comprehend difficult passages that his fellow schoolmates could not analyze. His deep understanding of his subjects portrayed his superior thought process, however his interpretations for also heavily weighted down with matters that some of his teachers and classmates found unsuitable (Mehring).
That autumn, Marx enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn, where he became engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, daughter of Baron von Westphalen, a man who had great influence over Marx in his younger years and can be held responsible for Marx's deep interest in Romanticism.Jenny was a playmate of Marx's childhood and a close friend of his elder sister Sophie. Marx's father believed that Jenny had "something of genius" in her, which set her apart from the typical women of her age (Mehring). There is much complaint in the letters from Marx's father to his son during Karl's year at Bonn. It is true that Karl was commonly careless with the monthly allowance that his father would send him. Karl was sometimes known to spend 50 thalers in one night. Most likely because of this frivolous spending, Heinrich sent his son to the more serious University of Berlin, where Karl remained for the next 4 years. During this time at his new university, Marx abandoned his Romantic views for Hegelianism.
Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883)
BackgroundOn May 5, 1818, Karl Heinrich Marx, son of Hirschel and Henrietta Marx, was born in Trier, Germany on the river Moselle.
Marx's grandfather on his father's side was a well-known rabbi in Trier. Both Marx's Uncle Samuel and his father, originally named Hirschel, devoted themselves to their work. Samuel (1781-1829) took the role of his father's occupation as Rabbi of Trier. Hirschel Marx (1782-1838) forged a different path with his life. He became a Justizrat, a lawyer, and abondoned his Jewish faith for Christianity in 1824 so that he could find success in his occupation more easily, rather than undergoing the nation's anti-Semitic lifestyle of the time. He took the first name of Heinrich. He later married Henrietta Pressburg, a Dutch Jewess, who came from a century-long line of rabbis. Henrietta Pressburg died in 1863. The pair at four surviving children at the time of their deaths: Sophie, Emilie, Luise, and Karl (Mehring).
Marx was born into a comfortable middle-class home. Marx has never spoken of any high school companions, and neither have they spoken of him. He completed his high school curriculum on August 25, 1835. During his high school career, Marx was credited with being able to comprehend difficult passages that his fellow schoolmates could not analyze. His deep understanding of his subjects portrayed his superior thought process, however his interpretations for also heavily weighted down with matters that some of his teachers and classmates found unsuitable (Mehring).
That autumn, Marx enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn, where he became engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, daughter of Baron von Westphalen, a man who had great influence over Marx in his younger years and can be held responsible for Marx's deep interest in Romanticism.Jenny was a playmate of Marx's childhood and a close friend of his elder sister Sophie. Marx's father believed that Jenny had "something of genius" in her, which set her apart from the typical women of her age (Mehring). There is much complaint in the letters from Marx's father to his son during Karl's year at Bonn. It is true that Karl was commonly careless with the monthly allowance that his father would send him. Karl was sometimes known to spend 50 thalers in one night. Most likely because of this frivolous spending, Heinrich sent his son to the more serious University of Berlin, where Karl remained for the next 4 years. During this time at his new university, Marx abandoned his Romantic views for Hegelianism.