Karl Marx Research Paper

On May 5, 1818, Karl Heinrich Marx was born. He was born in Trier, Rhenish Prussia (present-day Germany) and was one of nine children. His father Heinrich Marx was a very successful lawyer. He revered Kant and Voltaire. His mother Henriette Presburg Marx was a Dutchwoman. His mother and father both come from Jewish families, including a long line of rabbis. Heinreich Marx was unable to become a lawyer because he was Jewish, so he converted to Lutheranism. In 1824 at the age of six, Karl was baptized with his other siblings. His mother was not baptized until 1825, after her husband Heinrich died. Karl later became an atheist and a materialist, even though he attended a Lutheran elementary school. He rejected both the Jewish and Christian religions

Until the age of twelve he was taught at home. For five years between 1830 and 1835, he was attending school at the Jesuit high school in Trier, known as the Friedrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium. The Gymnasium’s program was much like others. It included history, mathematics, literature, and languages, specializing in Greek and Latin. Marx became very skillful in Latin and French. He learned to read and write fluently in both languages. He later taught himself a variety of other languages. He was able to read Dutch, Scandinavian, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and English. He mastered the English language, as he loved the works of William Shakespeare. With all of these other languages, he still maintained his heavy German accent when speaking. In October of 1835, Marx began studying at the University of Bonn. The school is filled with rebellious students. He contributed to this part in the average student life. He wanted to be a poet and dramatist. Marx followed after his father and enrolled in law classes. Although he did take many law classes, he was more interested in philosophy and literature. He still wrote lots of poetry as a student. During his time at Bonn, he spent more time drinking than studying. Marx’s father took him out of Bonn and had him enter the University of Berlin. On May 10, 1838 Marx’s father