Visiting Karl Marx in Trier - Germany

In 2018, Trier is entirely dominated by Karl Marx, who was born here 200 years ago.

When we communicated with Eithne Treanor about her upcoming visit to us, she asked what we were going to do. We said we were going to visit Karl Marx.

Then she seemed to be really excited, which we interpreted at first in such a way that we had made a joke. But it turned out that the joy was real because she had a weakness for Karl Marx in her youth.

But first, we drive with Eithne to the viewpoint above the Amphitheater at the Petrisberg. From here she has a good view of the city. Also, the most important sights and their history are described here on display boards.

Then we drive to the Main Market and go southwest through the Fleischstrasse. On the way, there are a number of buildings worth seeing, as for example the old post office with its inner courtyard.

The classicist building at Kornmarkt Square is also connected to Karl Marx. End of 18th, beginning of the 19th century, it was the meeting point for the Literary Casino Society, an association of Trier’s educated middle classes.

Here Karl-Marx fell in love with his later wife Jenny von Westphalen, during one of the balls.

The prolongation of Fleischstrasse is Brückenstrasse. The building number 10 is the birthplace of Karl Marx.

Today it houses a museum. In the beautiful inner courtyard is a huge bust of Karl Marx, which enjoys Eithne’s special favor.

Afterward, we go on to Viehmarkt Square. Here are the remains of the Roman Baths, that are currently visited by a Chinese delegation.

Then we continue to the Imperial Baths, with a big foot of Constantine standing in front of the entrance.

During the visit of the palace garden with the Electoral Palace already dark clouds move over the city.

The adjacent Basilica was the Roman Imperial Throne Room of Constantine the Great, who had moved his residence here.

Just as we reach the Cathedral, the rain sets in, so that we quickly escape into the inside. Besides the Cathedral and the Cloister Garden, we take a look at the Church of Our Lady next to it.

With the help of the displayed plans and sketches, we see that the original cathedral, built here by Constantine’s mother around 400 AD, was much larger than the two churches today.

Diagonally opposite the Cathedral is the Walderdorff Palace. The oldest part is the Jerusalem Tower in the inner courtyard.

Here is also the registry office. Once there were seven or eight such fortified residential towers from the Franconian times in Trier.

The Jerusalem Tower was built in the 11th century. Today, the wedding room is located in the Jerusalem Tower.

We reach the Main Market again, but this time we go in the northeastern direction. After a quick look at the Jews’ Alley, we reach the Karl Marx residential building. The family lived here from 1819 to 1835. It is in the Simeonstrasse shortly before the Porta Nigra, the landmark of Trier.

The more than 2000-year-old city gate, built by the Romans, still impresses by its sheer size but also by its well-designed proportions.

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After we have circumnavigated the adjacent Simeonstift, we stand on the square of the same name in front of the new attraction of Trier.

The 5.5 m large bronze statue of Karl Marx, created by the sculptor Wu Weishan, was a gift from the People’s Republic of China, on the occasion of the 200th birthday of Karl Marx.

We end the day with a good meal at the Blesius Garten brewery in Olewig. Actually, we wanted to sit in the garden, but the weather then drives us into the inside.

Please read on > A day trip to the Moselle

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There’s A Better WAY ! by Loveshadow (c) copyright 2011
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Forever by Shebbe (c) copyright 2015
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