Karl Marx House facts for kids
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| Established | 1947 |
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| Location | Trier |
| Type | biographical museum |
| Visitors | 50.000 |
| Owner | Friedrich Ebert Foundation |
The Karl Marx House (German: Karl-Marx-Haus) is a special museum in Trier, Germany. It is where Karl Marx was born in 1818. He was a very important thinker whose ideas influenced how people thought about society.
Today, the house is a museum. It tells the story of Karl Marx's life and his writings. It also explains the history of the ideas he shared.
History of the Karl Marx House
The building was first built in 1727. It was a two-story house with a fancy Baroque style. Karl Marx was born here on May 5, 1818. His family lived here only for a short time. They moved to a smaller house in October 1819.
For many years, no one really noticed the house's importance. But in 1904, a political group called the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) tried to buy it. They finally bought the house in 1928.
In 1933, a new political group, the Nazi Party, took over Germany. They took the house away and used it as a printing shop.
After World War II, the house became a museum. It opened on May 5, 1947. This was on Karl Marx's birthday. In 1968, the museum joined the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. This foundation is linked to the SPD.
The museum was closed for a year for big updates. It reopened on March 14, 1983. This date marked 100 years since Marx passed away. The museum was made bigger, now covering three floors.
A special visitor came to the museum in 1987. Erich Honecker, the leader of East Germany, visited the house. He placed 50 roses there during his trip.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum updated its exhibits in 2018. This was for Karl Marx's 200th birthday. The new exhibition is called "From Trier to the World. Karl Marx, his ideas and their impact until today."
The museum has three main parts. There is also a section about the house itself.
- Karl Marx's Life Story: This part shows where Marx came from in Trier. It also tells about his life in other countries.
- His Important Works: Here, you learn about Marx as a thinker. You see him as a writer, a person who studied society, and an economist.
- His Ideas Around the World: This section explains how Marx's ideas have influenced people everywhere. It shows their impact even today.
Some cool things you can see include Marx's reading chair. There is also a first edition of his famous book, Das Kapital. You can also see a statue of Marx made by his great-grandson.
About 50,000 people visit the Karl Marx House each year. Many visitors come from China.
See also
- Engels-Haus
