FREDERICK ENGELS
Engels to Marx Correspondence
Engels to Marx in Paris
Oct 1844
Engels to Marx in Paris
Nov 19, 1844
Engels to Marx in Brussels
Mar 07, 1845
Engels to Marx in Brussels
Nov 23, 1847
Engels to Marx
Sep 24, 1852
Engels to Marx on breach with Ernest Jones
Jan 14, 1858
Engels to Marx on Lasalle and Shulze-Dielitzsh
April 21, 1863
Engels to Marx on proposition from Bismarck to Marx
April 27, 1867
Engels to Marx on Dietzgen's manuscript
November 6, 1868
Engels to Marx on elections in England
November 18, 1868
Engels to Marx Brief comments on young Germans knowledge of 1848
December 18, 1868
Engels to Marx Brief comments on W. Liebknecht
July 6, 1869
Engels to Marx Brief comments on Ireland
October 24, 1869
Engels to Marx Brief comments on Carey and land rent
November 9, 1869
Engels to Marx more on Carey
November 19, 1869
Engels to Marx events in England
November 29, 1869
Engels to Marx Brief comments on Ireland
December 09, 1869
Engels to Marx Brief comments on Noir's funeral in France
February 1, 1870
Engels to Marx W. Liebknecht is mistaken in making
ant-Bismarckism his main principle--German unification
August 15, 1870
Engels to Marx comments on the Franco-Prussian War
September 4, 1870
Engels to Marx more comments on the war
September 12, 1870
Engels to Marx comments on science
May 30, 1873
Engels to Marx
May 28, 1876
Engels to Marx in Argenteuil
Aug 11, 1881
Engels to Marx Brief comments referring to Engels article The
Mark
December 8, 1882
Engels to Marx more comments referring to Engels article, The
Mark
December 15, 1882
Engels to Marx more comments referring to Engels article, The
Mark
December 16, 1882
Engels to Marx more comments referring to Engels article, The
Mark
December 19, 1882
Engels to Marx more comments referring to Engels article, The
Mark
December 22, 1882
Letter from Engels to Marx
in Paris
Written: [Barmen, beginning of October 1844]
First Published: abridged in Die Neue Zeit, Bd. 2, No.44, Stuttgart, 1900-01 and
in full in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 1, Stuttgart,
1913
Dear Marx,
No doubt you are surprised, and justifiably so, not to have heard from me
sooner; however I still cannot tell you even now anything about my return. I've
been stuck here in Barmen for the past three weeks, amusing myself as best I can
with few friends and many relations amongst whom, fortunately, there are half a
dozen amiable women. Work is out of the question here, more especially since my
sister [Marie] has become engaged to the London communist, Emil Blank, an
acquaintance of Ewerbeck's and, of course, the house is now in a hellish state
of turmoil. Moreover, it's clear to me that considerable obstacles will continue
to be placed in the way of my return to Paris, and that I may well have to spend
six months or a whole year hanging about in Germany; I shall, of course, do
everything I can to avoid this, but you have no idea what petty considerations
and superstitious fears I have to contend with.
I spent three days in Cologne and marvelled at the tremendous propaganda we had
put out there. Our people are very active, but the lack of adequate backing is
greatly felt. Failing a few publications in which the principles are logically
and historically developed out of past ways of thinking and past history, and as
their necessary continuation, the whole thing will remain rather hazy and most
people will be groping in the dark. Later I was in Duesseldorf, where we also
have some able fellows. The ones I like best, by the way, are my Elberfelders,
in whom a humane way of thinking has truly become second nature; these fellows
have really begun to revolutionise their family lives and lecture their elders
whenever these try to come the aristocrat over the servants or workmen -- and
that's saying a great deal in patriarchal Elberfeld. But besides this particular
group there's another in Elberfeld which is also very good, though somewhat more
muddled. In Barmen the police inspector is a communist. The day before yesterday
I was called on by a former schoolfellow, a grammar school teacher [1] , who's
been thoroughly bitten although he's had no contact whatever with communists. If
we could bring direct influence to bear on the people, we'd soon get the upper
hand, but such a thing is virtually impossible, especially since we writers have
to keep quiet if we're not to be nabbed. Otherwise it's safe enough here, no one
bothers much about us so long as we keep quiet, and it seems to me that Hess'
fears are little more than phantoms. I've not been molested at all here so far,
although the public prosecutor once insistently questioned one of our people
about me, but up till now I haven't had wind of anything else.
According to the paper here, Bernays [2] has been charged by the government here
and taken to court in Paris. Let me know whether this is true, and also how the
pamphlet [3] is getting on; presumably it's finished by now. Nothing has been
heard of the Bauers here, nobody knows anything about them. On the other hand,
every one is still scrambling to get hold of the Jahrbücher. [4] My article on
Carlyle [5] has, absurdly enough, earned me a tremendous reputation among the
'mass', whereas only very few have read the one on Economy. [6] That's natural
enough.
In Elberfeld, too, the clerical gentry have been preaching against us, at least
Krummacher has; for the present they confine themselves to the atheism of the
young, but I hope this will soon be followed by a philippic against communism.
Last summer the whole of Elberfeld talked of nothing but these godless fellows.
By and large, the movement here is remarkable. Since I was here last [7] , the
Wupper valley has made greater progress in every respect than in the preceding
fifty years. Social manners have become more civilised, participation in
politics, in the opposition is widespread, industry has made enormous progress,
new districts have been added to the towns, entire woods have been grubbed up,
and the level of civilisation throughout the region is indeed above rather than
below that in Germany as a whole, whereas only four years ago it was far lower.
In other words this promises to be first-rate soil for our principle, and if
only we can get our wild, hot-blooded dyers and bleachers on the move, the
Wupper valley will surprise you yet. As it is, the workers had already reached
the final stage of the old civilisation a few years ago, and the rapid increase
in crime, robbery and murder is their way of protesting against the old social
organisation. At night the streets are very unsafe, the bourgeoisie is beaten,
stabbed and robbed; and, if the proletarians here develop according to the same
laws as in England, they will soon realise that this way of protesting as
individuals and with violence against the social order is useless, and they will
protest, through communism, in their general capacity as human beings. If only
one could show these fellows the way! But that's impossible.
My brother [Hermann] is at present a soldier in Cologne and, so long as he
remains above suspicion, will provide a good address to which letters for Hess,
etc., may be sent. At the moment I myself am not sure of his exact address and
cannot therefore let you have it.
Since writing the above I have been in Elberfeld, where I once again came across
several communists I had never heard of before. Turn where you will, go where
you may, you'll stumble on a communist. A very impassioned communist, a
cartoonist and aspiring historical painter by the name of Seel will be going to
Paris in two months' time. I'll direct him to you; the fellow's enthusiasm and
his painting and love of music will appeal to you, and he may very well come in
useful as a cartoonist. It's possible, but not very probable, that I may be
there myself by then.
A few copies of Vorwarts! [8] arrive here and I have seen to it that others
place orders as well; ask the dispatch department to send specimen copies to the
following in Elberfeld: Richard Roth, Captain Wilhelm Blank junior, F. W.
Strijeker, Meyer, a Bavarian publican in the Funkenstrasse (a communist
beerhouse), all to be sent through Baedeker, the communist bookseller, and under
sealed cover. Once the fellows see that copies are coming in, they, too, will
place orders. Also to W. Mueller, M.D., in Duesseldorf; and, if you like, to
d'Ester, M.D., Loellchen, [9] the publican, your brother-...
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