Marx in Brussels
Marx in Brussels – a commemorative plaque at Brussels Grand Place
On the19th of September a particular moment of history took place at the historic Grand Place in Brussels.
It was to commemorate the fact that Karl Marx indeed lived in Brussels for three years, from 1845-1848, and celebrated New Year’s Eve with the “Deutscher Arbeiterverein” and members of the “Association Democratique” in a historic building next to the city hall in the Grand Place (which is now a restaurant called “The Swan”). It is by no coincidence that the Belgian workers’ party was founded in the same house.
Karl Marx, together with Friedrich Engels, actually finished the Communist manifesto in Brussels and it was published in February 1848. Reiner Hoffmann, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, addressed the audience at the inauguration of the commemorative plaque and highlighted the fact that, during his stay, Marx was not only working on the Communist manifesto but also on an important work entitled the “Deutsche Ideologie”.
There was a bit of uncertainty however as to the truth about the New Year’s Eve night. The Lord Mayor of Brussels, like Hoffmann, was of the opinion that Marx and Engels ‘celebrated’ heavily and this might have caused some delay in producing the Communist manifesto, while historians stated that both writers were giving the manifesto the final touch that very night!
The pictures show speakers at the inauguration ceremony.
