THREEBrussels
When in the spring of 1845 we met again, this time in Brussels,
Marx had already advanced to the main aspects of his materialist
theory of history. Now we set about the task of elaborating the newly
gained theory in the most different directions.
F. Engels, 'History of the Communist League', MEW XXII 212.I. THE MATERIALIST CONCEPTION OF HISTORYBrussels was to be Marx's home for the next three years. It was still in
many ways a provincial city, capital of a very rapidly industrialising
country independent only since 1830 , with a Catholic-conservative
government and a vocal liberal opposition. Belgium was something of a
political haven for refugees as it enjoyed greater freedom of expression
than any other country on the continent of Europe. Marx arrived with a
list of instructions written in his notebook by Jenny: the children's room
and his study were to be 'very simply furnished'; the kitchen did not need
to be furnished at all and Jenny would get the utensils herself, as also the
beds and linen. She finished: 'The rest I leave to the wise judgement of
my noble protector; my only remaining request is to have particular
regard for some cupboards; they play an important role in the life of a
housewife and are extremely valuable objects, never to be overlooked.
How should the books best be stored? And so amen!'^1 At first it was
impossible to find a satisfactory lodging. Jenny arrived about ten days
after Marx and the family lived for a month in the Bois Sauvage guest
house. Then they moved into Freiligrath's old lodging on his departure
for Switzerland. Finally in May they rented a small terraced house in the
rue de l'Alliance in a Flemish-speaking, countrified area at the eastern
edge of the city, where they stayed for more than a year.
Jenny found herself pregnant on her arrival in Brussels and her mother
now sent her her own maid, Helene Demuth, a practical young baker's
daughter from a village near Trier, then aged twenty-five, who had grown
up in the Westphalen family from the age of eleven or twelve and who