{Barmen, beginning of October 1844] 

Dear Marx, 

No doubt you are surprised, and justifiably so,. not to have 
heard from me sooner; however | 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* 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 
Düsseldorf, where we also have some able fellows. The ones I like 
best, by the way, are my Elberfelders, in whom a humane way of 

a Marie 

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,* 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 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” 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 Jahrbticher“ 
My article on Carlyle’ has, absurdly enough, earned me a 
tremendous reputation among the ‘mass’, whereas only very few 
have read the one on Economy.* 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,’ 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, 

@ Gustav Wurm - > K. Marx and F. Engels, The Holy Family, or Critique of Critical 
Criticism. - © Deutsch-Franzésische Jahrbticher - 4 F. Engels, ‘The Condition of Eng- 
land. Past and Present by Thomas Carlyle’. - ¢ F. Engels, ‘Outlines of a Critique of 
Political Economy’. 

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 
genera] capacity as human beings. If only one could show these 
fellows the way! But that’s impossible. 

My brother? 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. [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* 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. Striicker, Meyer, a Bavarian 
publican in the Funkenstrasse (a communist beerhouse), all to be 
sent through Badeker, the communist bookseller, and under 
sealed cover. Once the fellows see that copies are coming 
in, they, too, will place orders. Also to W. Muller, M.D., in 

4 Hermann 

Düsseldorf; and, if you like, to d’Ester, M.D., Léllchen,’? the 
publican, your brother-in-law,” etc., in Cologne. All of them, of 
course, through the booksellers and under sealed cover. 

See to it that the material you’ve collected is soon launched into 
the world.” It’s high time, heaven knows! I too shall settle down to 
work and make a start this very day. The Teutons are all still very 
muddled about the practicability of communism; to dispose of this 
absurdity I intend to write a short pamphlet showing that 
communism has already been put into practice and describing in 
popular terms how this is at present being done in England and 
America.‘ The thing will take me three days or so, and should 
prove very enlightening for these fellows. I’ve already observed 
this when talking to people here. 

Down to work, then, and quickly into print! Convey my 
greetings to Ewerbeck, Bakunin, Guerrier and the rest, not 
forgetting your wife, and write very soon to tell me all the news. If 
this letter reaches you safely and unopened, send your reply 
under sealed cover to F. W. Striicker and Co., Elberfeld, with the 
address written in as commercial a hand as possible; otherwise, to 
any of the other addresses I gave Ewerbeck. I shall be curious to 
know whether the postal sleuth-hounds are deceived by the 
ladylike appearance of this letter. 

Goodbye for the present, dear Karl, and write very soon. I have 
not been able to recapture the mood of cheerfulness and goodwill 
I experienced during the ten days I spent with you. I have not as 
yet had any real opportunity of doing anything about the 
establishment we are to establish.*