Jenny von Westphalen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenny von Westphalen
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c. 1830
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| Born |
Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny von Westphalen
12 February 1814 |
| Died | 2 December 1881 (aged 67) Kentish Town, London, England
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| Resting place | Highgate Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 7, including Jenny, Laura, and Eleanor |
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Jenny von Westphalen (born Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny Edle von Westphalen; 12 February 1814 – 2 December 1881) was a German writer and activist. She is best known as the wife of the famous philosopher and economist Karl Marx. Jenny was also a theatre critic and took part in political activities. She married Karl Marx in 1843.
Contents
Jenny von Westphalen's Early Life
Jenny von Westphalen was born in a small town called Salzwedel in Northern Germany. Her family had recently been given a noble title. This meant they were part of the "petty nobility," a lower rank of noble families.
Her Family Background
Jenny's father, Ludwig von Westphalen (1770–1842), was a government official. He worked as a "Regierungsrat," which means a government councillor. He had four children from a previous marriage before Jenny was born.
Her grandfather, Philipp von Westphalen, was given a noble title in 1764. This was for his military service during the Seven Years' War. He was a key helper to Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick during the war.
Jenny's grandmother, Jeanie Wishart, was from a Scottish noble family. Her family was connected to important Scottish clans like the Clan Campbell. This connection led to a funny event in 1854. Karl Marx tried to pawn some of Jenny's family silverware. The police thought it was stolen because it had a duke's symbol on it! They couldn't believe a German refugee could own such valuable items.
Jenny's mother, Carolina Heubel (1780–1856), came from a middle-class family. Jenny had a brother named Edgar von Westphalen (1819–1890). Edgar was a good friend and schoolmate of Karl Marx. Another brother, Ferdinand von Westphalen, became a powerful politician in Prussia. He was the Interior Minister from 1850 to 1858. Even though he was very conservative, he stayed friends with Karl and Jenny Marx.
Marriage to Karl Marx
Jenny von Westphalen and Karl Marx knew each other since they were children. Jenny was four years older than Karl. They became very close friends as teenagers. Both of them loved to read and discuss books.
Their Engagement and Wedding
They started dating and fell in love. Karl Marx thought Jenny was the most beautiful girl in their town of Trier. Jenny's father, Ludwig von Westphalen, was also a friend of Karl's father. He often took walks with young Karl to talk about philosophy and literature.
Jenny and Karl got engaged in 1836. They finally married on 19 June 1843. Their wedding took place in the Kreuznacher Pauluskirche, a church in Bad Kreuznach, Germany.
After their wedding, Karl and Jenny Marx moved to Paris, France. There, they became friends with the famous German poet Heinrich Heine.
The Marx Children
Karl and Jenny Marx had seven children together. Sadly, many of them died young. Here are their children in order of birth:
- Jenny Caroline (1 May 1844 – 11 January 1883): She married Charles Longuet in 1872. Jenny was a socialist activist, meaning she worked to promote socialist ideas. She wrote for socialist newspapers in France. She helped show how the British treated Irish revolutionaries. She died at age 38.
- Jenny Laura (26 September 1845 – 26 November 1911): Born in Brussels, Belgium, she married Paul Lafargue in 1868. Laura was also a socialist activist. She and her husband worked together for many years. They translated Karl Marx's writings into French and helped spread his ideas in France and Spain.
- Charles Louis Henri Edgar (3 February 1847 – 6 May 1855): The family called him "Mush." He was named after Jenny von Westphalen's brother, Edgar. He died when he was 8 years old.
- Henry Edward Guy (5 September 1849 – 19 November 1850): The family called him "Guido." He was born and died in London.
- Jenny Eveline Frances ("Franziska"; 28 March 1851 – 14 April 1852): She also died very young.
- Jenny Julia Eleanor (16 January 1855 – 31 March 1898): Born in London, she became a well-known socialist activist.
- An unnamed child, born and died on 6 July 1857 in London.
Life in Exile
The Marx family faced many challenges and had to move often. In 1844, Jenny traveled alone with her baby daughter, Jennychen, to visit her mother.
Moving from Country to Country
In 1845, the French police forced Karl Marx and Jenny to leave Paris. Jenny was pregnant at the time, so their daughter Laura was born in Brussels, Belgium.
In 1848, the Brussels police arrested Jenny. They ordered her and her family to leave the country because they were immigrants. The Marxes then returned to Paris and later moved to Cologne, Germany.
Around 1848, many European countries experienced "revolutionary upsurges." This means people were rebelling against their governments. It was also the time when Karl Marx wrote the famous Communist Manifesto. The authorities in Prussia (part of Germany) forced Karl Marx to leave for France. He then moved with his family to London, England.
Life in London
Around 1849–1850, the Marx family lived on Dean Street in London. In 1856, they moved to Grafton Terrace, a house with a small garden and seven rooms. This move was possible because Jenny received money from her mother after she passed away in 1856.
Life in London was often hard for the Marx family. Karl Marx was not good at managing money. Jenny often had to visit pawnbrokers in London. A pawnbroker is a person who lends money in exchange for valuable items, which can be bought back later.
Jenny's Later Years and Death
In her later years, Jenny Marx suffered from severe internal pains. Doctors diagnosed her with liver cancer. After a family visit to France, she passed away in London on 2 December 1881, at the age of 67.
She was buried in Highgate Cemetery in London, the same place where Karl Marx would later be buried. In 1954, her remains were moved to a new grave. This new grave also holds the remains of her husband and other family members. A special memorial was built over their new grave.
Jenny von Westphalen's Writings
Jenny von Westphalen was also a writer. She wrote articles and a short memoir. Here are some of her works:
- Short Sketch of an Eventful Life (1865–1866)
- Aus der Londoner Theaterwelt. (About the London Theatre World)
- Londoner Saison. (London Season)
- Englische Shakespeare-Studien. (English Shakespeare Studies)
- Shakespeares "Richard III" im Londoner Lyceum-Theater. (Shakespeare's "Richard III" at the London Lyceum Theatre)
- Vom Londoner Theater. (From the London Theatre)
- Die hervorragendesten Persönlichkeiten der englischen Salonwelt. (The Most Prominent Personalities of the English Salon World)
- Irving at home.
See also
In Spanish: Jenny von Westphalen para niños
