About Karl Marx Haus
Karl Marx Haus, translated as Karl Marx House, was the place where the revolutionary communist philosopher Karl Marx was born on 5 May 1818. Located in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the house is a museum about Karl Marx’s life and writings as well as the history of communism.
History of Karl Marx Haus
Karl Marx was one of the most influential political thinkers of his time. His theory of Marxism, in which the working classes or ‘Proletariat’ must struggle to take power from the upper classes or ‘Bourgeoisie’ in order to create a stateless society, is still one of the most well-known and controversial political theories in the world.
The house itself was built in around 1727 as a baroque residential home. It was not seen as significant until 1904, at which point the Social Democratic Part of Germany (SPD) worked to buy it, eventually succeeding in 1928. After the Nazi party came to power in 1933, the site was confiscated and turned into a printing house.
The site was re-opened in 1947 as a museum dedicated to the life and works of Karl Marx. From 1968 it was integrated into the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, a charity closely aligned with the SDP.
From 1982 the museum was closed in order to expand the site to three floors. It reopened in 1983 on the 100th anniversary of Karl Marx’s death.
Karl Marx Haus Today
The Karl Marx Haus and Museum is a hugely popular attraction, receiving around 32,000 visitors per year, of which a third are from China. Indeed, the Karl Marx Haus is one of the most popular attractions in Germany amongst Chinese tourists.
At Karl Marx Haus, visitors can not only view the place where Marx was born, but also learn about his life, his theories, his works and the way in which Marxism has affected world politics. The museum hosts a wide variety of events which cover contemporary history and current topics, including the foundation of the Weimar Republic, digitalisation, and good labour.
The site is popular with families and individuals, but also holds guided tours and workshops for tourists and school parties alike. The garden is also popular as a place to rest and reflect.
Entry costs 5 euro.
Getting to Karl Marx Haus
From the centre of Trier, the Karl Marx Haus is reachable in 2 minutes via Hindenburgstraße and Stresemannstraße. It’s also reachable in around 10 minutes via Trier’s public transport system, with buses departing from Hauptbahnhof 4 every 30 minutes or so. By foot, it takes 7 minutes via Neustraße and Stresemannstraße.
