Jenny von Westphalen: biography, facts from life

Because of its origin, this woman could shine in high society and lead a luxurious, carefree existence. But Jenny von Westfalen, interesting facts about which are presented in this article, chose a completely different life. Full of suffering, hardship and difficulties. It was such a fate, alas, was prepared for the wife of the great theoretician of communism Karl Marx.

Origin of Jenny von Westphalen

One fine winter day a girl named Jenny was born in a wealthy family of German aristocrats. The full name is Johann Bertha Julia Jenny von Westfalen. Her date of birth is the twelfth of February, 1814.

The little-one's father wore the title of Baron and was on the bureaucratic service, where he held a high post. His ancestors were Prussian aristocrats - in particular grandfather Jenny on the paternal line served as advisor, secretary, and then as field-marshal under Duke Ferdinand of Braunschweig. And the grandmother was the successor noble noble family of Scotland. Jenny von Westfalen's mother, too, was a hereditary noblewoman, but of a more modest descent.

The elder brother of the future wife of Marx rose to the ministerial title. Most likely, the girl would also have a bright future. But everything turned out as it happened ...

First Beauty

Notable parents Jenny tried to give his daughter a good education. In addition to her intelligence and abilities to science, she had a bright appearance and was known as the first beauty of the balls of the old town of Trier, where her childhood and youth passed.

Jenny von Westfalen, whose photo survived to this day, really looked very good. Her face was memorable and stood out from hundreds of others.

Therefore, it is not surprising that fans around the rich heiress and queen of balls constantly were hanging out. With one of them - Lieutenant Karl von Pannwitz - a young lady at the age of seventeen even managed to make an engagement. But this union did not become a marriage. Six months after the conclusion, the engagement was terminated.

Introduction to Karl Marx

Jenny von Westfalen and Karl Marx met while still a child. Their fathers, despite their different position on the social ladder, were friends. Johann Ludwig von Westfalen in general was a liberal man, also very well educated. And to some extent prejudice was alien to him. At the age of twelve, Karl begins to attend the gymnasium with his brother Jenny and constantly comes to the house of the von Westfalen family to play.

Later, Marx said that he never imagined and did not want another wife, except for Jenny von Westfalen. As a child, he fell in love with a blooming girl (she was four years older) without any memory. And when he grew up, the beloved answered him in kind.

The engagement of the seventeen-year-old Karl and Jenny, who at the time was twenty-one years old, would surely have shocked the parents of the bride and all the higher light of Trier. But almost no one knew about it - young people kept their relations secret. Only the father and sister of Marx, and even a friend of Jenny, were dedicated. Almost immediately after the betrothal, Charles went to study. And Jenny remained to wait for him.

The thorny path to the wedding

Being away from each other in the distance, the young people conducted fervent correspondence and dreamed about the day when they could finally be together. Marx had already begun his political activity, and he was considered an unreliable student. As a result of the persecution, the young man had to change several universities.

These problems did not drive out the image of the beloved, and two years after the engagement, Carl made Jenny an offer that the girl's family refused. And the groom's relatives did not welcome this union, since the bride was older.

After the death of Karl's father, the relationship between the two families was completely disrupted and gradually came to naught. But this did not affect the love of young Marx and Jenny von Westphalen. They continued to dream of a wedding.

After graduating from university and receiving a doctorate in 1841, Marx expected that he would be left in the school, where he could get a professor's place. But the reputation of the bearer of dubious ideas crossed out these expectations. In office, Charles was refused, and he could offer nothing to his future wife. So, the wedding had to be postponed again.

The 27-year-old Jenny, who was already called an old maiden, was in despair. And Karla sawed his mother, reproaching him for sloppiness and forcing him to look for a warm place under the sun.

But these difficulties have not separated the lovers. They all the same got married, against all and all. Jenny von Westfalen at the time Was twenty-nine years old. The bride's mother provided the wedding trip to the Rhine to the newlyweds. They themselves had no money at that time. However, they were never ...

The First Bells

Already in the first months after the wedding, Jenny realized what kind of person she married. He did not seek to find a simple but stable job. There were always a lot of ideas in his head, half of which looked fantastic. Marx constantly disappeared in some circles, led some disputes, wrote something ... Forgetting to eat lunch and make money for lunch.

Seeing this state of affairs, Karl's mother threatened her son that he would not receive his share of his father's inheritance. And young Marx appealed to the court. Themis was on the side of the heir, Karl received a fairly round sum, which could give them financial independence with Jenny. But ... This money evaporated instantly. After all, the author of Capital could not boast economically ever.

An ex-girlfriend

But these were still flowers. Further, the life of the successor of the noble family von Westfalen gave even greater leeway. Her husband was fired from the newspaper, where he was settled, and then began to pursue. Most of the time, the couple of Marxs was supposed to be in exile. First there was France: Paris ... Then Belgium. Then again Paris. And finally - London. When he ordered Marx to leave Brussels, the authorities gave him only 48 hours, and the family was forced to leave the corner and go without any baggage. And sometimes, Karl left alone, and Jenny remained to settle household issues.

Life generally burdened solely on its fragile shoulders. She tried to help her husband than she could, far from the routine absorbed in journalism and politics. And later, Marx's friends said that if it were not for Jenny, he would never have become what he had become.

And how did it survive? In constant moving, pregnant almost every year, with young children and forever without money ... Could imagine the only daughter of the rich, that she would dream of the most simple dress?

The hostage of financial hardship

And the financial situation in the family, indeed, was simply catastrophic. Jenny von Westfalen and Karl Marx spent the week together with their children on bread, water and potatoes. Above them hung a real threat of hunger and homelessness. His home was not - the corners were removed. Every day a large mother had to fight a cloud of creditors and beg the baker to give bread for the last time ... In the pawnshop, Jenny carried everything - family decorations, valuables, clothes. Once, even the only skirt of the mother of the family became the loot of the moneylender.

It became especially difficult when Marx entered the Brussels prison, and it was necessary to carry him the transfers. And after all, there were also children on Jenny! Who wanted to eat. Which were ill ...

The long-suffering mother

In the history of the life of Jenny von Westphalen, children are a tragic page. For thirteen years (from 1844 to 1857) the couple of Marxov became parents seven times. But the birth was followed by death. The lack of medicines and normal food turned out to be fatal for this family. Edgar's son died at the age of eight; The second boy - Henry - at the time of death was not even a year; At one-year-old age, the little girl Frances also died away; And the last son left this world before he was given a name.

Children were sick, and parents could not help them. Not that to cause a good doctor - even a bowl of hearty soup to give had no opportunity. And when little Francis died, Mom and Dad did not have the means to bury her. And they made a coffin in debt.

Only three children of Karl and Jenny reached adulthood - the daughter of Laura, Eleanor and Jenny, named after her mother. And then ... Eleanor scores with life at the age of 43 years, and Jenny at the time of suicide was 39.

Deceived wife

Jenny von Westfalen, interesting facts from whose life became the property of the general public not so long ago, survived not only the death of children, but also adultery. Sometimes it seemed to a woman that all the misfortunes of the world fell on her head.

Even at the dawn of family life, the eleven-year-old girl Lenchen, who took care of the house, and then the children of the couple, settled in the house of the Marxians. Over time, the housekeeper became Jenny's best friend. Marx loved to play chess with her.

When Lenchen was seventeen, an affair arose between her and the owner of the house, the result of which was a boy named Freddie.

Karl carefully concealed from his wife his secret life. And even asked a friend of Engels to cover it. Everyone around him thought that Freddie was his son, and Lenchen was his civil wife. Most likely, Jenny thought about everything ... But she did not give me a look.

By the way, this case was not the only one. The biographers write that already at an adulthood, Marx spun an affair with his niece, who was younger than him for 19 years.

Literary mentor

But, despite all the trials, Jenny von Westphalen, whose biography began in the family of aristocrats, was steadfast. And to the last breath she loved her husband, helping him in everything.

The role of Jenny in his journalistic and literary success is invaluable, since a well-educated woman actually was a literary editor and mentor of her husband. Jenny read all the works of Marx, made comments and edits, and also copied the scrawl of her husband in a normal handwriting. Otherwise, the publishers refused to take them. The wife of Marx had a real literary talent, which served an excellent service to the classics.

last years of life

Already, almost at the finish Jenny had the opportunity to at least implement his writing talent. She started journalism, covering the cultural life of London. Readers liked the sharp words of Mrs. Marx.

It is a pity that the creative flight was interrupted so early ... In 1878 a woman discovered liver cancer, and in 1881 the biography of Jenny von Westfalen ended. Photos of recent years eloquently speak of the fact that life pretty patted the daughter of aristocrats. It is deprivation and experience, most likely, that caused such a terrible disease.

And, nevertheless, persistent Jenny did not regret anything. The last words of her were the words about the love of her husband. And he was just overwhelmed with grief and until the end of his days he carried in his jacket pocket a photo of his wife, who survived only for two years. The ashes of the spouses, past the thorny, but full of passionate love path, rest in one grave. And ... here their servant Lenchen Demuth is buried.