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Friedrich Engels

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Friedrich Engels was a German philosopher, journalist, and businessman.

Friedrich Engels, c. 1860 (cropped)
Friedrich Engels, c. 1860 (cropped)

He is most famous for his partnership with Karl Marx. Together, they developed Marxism, a political and philosophical system. This system examines how history and society change over time. Engels was also a revolutionary socialist who helped lead various worker movements. His work helped define the political ideas of the late 19th century.

Communist-manifesto
Communist-manifesto

Engels was born on November 28, 1820, in Barmen, Prussia.

Wuppertal.Engelshaus06 (cropped)
Wuppertal.Engelshaus06 (cropped)

His father, Friedrich Engels Sr., owned a successful cotton mill. The family followed Pietism, a strict form of Lutheranism. This religious background emphasized hard work and personal devotion. However, young Engels began to reject these values early in life. He preferred literature and new philosophical ideas over religious tradition.

AutorretratoDeFriedrichEngels19Años
AutorretratoDeFriedrichEngels19Años

His education and early writing shaped his radical views. He attended a Gymnasium, which is a type of secondary school, in Elberfeld. There, he studied history and literature under Dr. Johann Clausen. His father eventually withdrew him from school to focus on business. In 1838, Engels moved to Bremen for a commercial apprenticeship. While there, he began writing under the name "Friedrich Oswald." He wrote a critique of social conditions called "Letters from Wuppertal." This work attacked the hypocrisy of wealthy factory owners.

Friedrich Engels-1840-cropped
Friedrich Engels-1840-cropped

Engels experienced a major intellectual shift in his early twenties. He moved away from Christianity toward the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. He joined a group of intellectuals in Berlin called "Die Freien."

This group used Hegel's methods to critique the state and religion. They were often called "Young Hegelians." Engels also studied the ideas of Ludwig Feuerbach. Feuerbach argued that humans created the concept of God. This helped Engels develop a materialist view of the world.

Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England
Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England

In 1842, Engels went to Manchester, England, to work in a cotton mill.

Manchester from Kersal Moor William Wylde (1857)
Manchester from Kersal Moor William Wylde (1857)

This experience was vital to his development. He witnessed the harsh reality of the industrial working class. He saw polluted rivers, dangerous jobs, and extreme poverty. These observations led him to write "The Condition of the Working Class in England" in 1845. This book provided a detailed look at how industrialization affected workers. It connected his business life to his political activism.

Engels and Marx formed a permanent partnership in 1844. They worked together in Paris to develop their materialist conception of history. In 1848, they co-authored "The Communist Manifesto" for the Communist League.

Karl Marx at the editorial office of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung
Karl Marx at the editorial office of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung

Engels also participated in the Revolutions of 1848, including armed combat. After the revolutions, he lived in Manchester for twenty years. He worked for the family firm, Ermen & Engels.

Ermen and Engels mill in Weaste, Salford
Ermen and Engels mill in Weaste, Salford

During this time, he lived a double life. He was a successful merchant who also funded the poor Marx family in London.

After Marx died in 1883, Engels took on a massive responsibility. He became the main editor of Marx's unfinished writings. He completed the second and third volumes of "Das Kapital." He also wrote works like "Anti-Dühring" and "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific."

Anti Duhring cover
Anti Duhring cover

These books helped popularize Marxism across Europe. He became a leader in the International Workingmen's Association. His work provided the foundation for the Second International. He remained a central authority on their shared philosophy until his death.

Zetkin Engels Bebel at International Socialist Workers Congress 1893
Zetkin Engels Bebel at International Socialist Workers Congress 1893

Engels died of cancer in London in 1895. His ashes were scattered off Beachy Head. His ideas had a massive impact on global politics. In the 20th century, his application of dialectics was used by the Soviet Union.

Klucis, Выше знамя Маркса, Энгельса, Ленина и Сталина!
Klucis, Выше знамя Маркса, Энгельса, Ленина и Сталина!

Today, his contributions to social theory are still studied. He remains a key figure in the history of political thought. His life connected the world of business with the world of revolution.

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🖼️ Images & Media (20)
File:Wuppertal.Engelshaus06 (cropped).jpg
Wuppertal.Engelshaus06 (cropped).jpg
File:AutorretratoDeFriedrichEngels19Años.jpg
AutorretratoDeFriedrichEngels19Años.jpg
File:Friedrich_Engels_-_Die_Freien_(1842)-1.1_V01-1.2_raw_RGASPI.jpg
Friedrich_Engels_-_Die_Freien_(1842)-1.1_V...
File:Manchester from Kersal Moor William Wylde (1857).jpg
Manchester from Kersal Moor William Wylde...
File:Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England.png
Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England.png
File:Friedrich Engels-1840-cropped.jpg
Friedrich Engels-1840-cropped.jpg
File:Communist-manifesto.png
Communist-manifesto.png
File:Karl Marx at the editorial office of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung.jpg
Karl Marx at the editorial office of the...
File:Ermen and Engels mill in Weaste, Salford.jpg
Ermen and Engels mill in Weaste, Salford.jpg
File:Friedrich Engels, c. 1860 (cropped).jpg
Friedrich Engels, c. 1860 (cropped).jpg
File:Lizzie Burns-1.1.jpg
Lizzie Burns-1.1.jpg
File:Friedrich Engels - 122 Regent's Park Road Primrose Hill NW1 8XL.jpg
Friedrich Engels - 122 Regent's Park Road...

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