Tragic house of Karl Marx

The house where tragedy struck Karl Marx and his family.

Location: 28 Dean Street, Soho, London

Description: Leonis Quo Vadis sits, one of Sohos most famous restaurants, which was established by P.G.Leoni in 1926.

This is where the house where Karl Marx (181883) and his family lived from 1851 to 1856 in two small upstairs rooms.

They subsisted on a small weekly sum given to them by their friend Frierich Engles. Marx claimed that he rarely went out because my clothes are in pawn. His life was marked by tragedy during his tenure as three of his children died here.

The rooms at 28 Dean Street were rented by Marx at 22 a year. He described it as a hovel.

Before this he lodged at number 64 with Heinrich Bauer. Marx earnt some money by writing for the New York Tribune. He was also sent some cash by Engels.

A Prussian agent said When you enter the Marx flat your sight is dimmed by tobacco and coal smoke so that you grope around at first as if you were in a cave, until your eyes get used to these fumes and, as in a fog, you gradually notice a few objects. ... Everything is dirty, everything covered with dust; it is dangerous to sit down. Here is a chair with only three legs, there the children play kitchen on another chair that happens to be whole; true it is offered to the visitor, but the childrens kitchen is not removed; if you sit on it you risk a pair of trousers. But nothing of this embarrasses Marx or his wife in the least; you are received in the friendliest manner, are cordially offered a pipe, tobacco, and whatever else there is; a spirited conversation makes up for the domestic defects and in the end you become reconciled because of the company, find it interesting, even original.

Later in 1855 his wife Jenny received two small inheritances - and they were able to move to a small terraced house near Primrose Hill.

Tours: The London Karl Marx Tour

Themes: Politics Politics Theme