© Christophe Hochard
New exhibitions have been opened in Trier to commemorate the German philosopher, radical democrat, communist and social critic.
In Trier’s various museums, preparations for Karl Marx’s 200th birthday are in full swing.
Deliveries of documents chronicling Marx's life and works are arriving from all over the world. This week, for instance, evidence of his doctorate was showcased to the press at the Landesmuseum.
The father of communism was born on 5 May 1818, and grew up at a time when poverty was prevalent among Trier's residents. After leaving his home town, Marx lived in different cities around the world.
Visitors who are interested in learning more about the different stages of the philosopher's life will have the opportunity to do so at the City Museum, where each stage is carefully presented as part of an exhibit.
The Landesaustellug (State Exhibition) in Trier will open to the public from 5 May to 21 October, this year.
Additionally, in a novel modern tribute to the philosopher, visitors may be "given the green light" by Karl Marx himself, as Trier introduces a set of anniversary traffic lights to mark the occasion.
Lecture at the National Literary Centre in Mersch
Karl Marx, Marxism and Literature
Even though Marx has not authored any specific piece of literature, there are multiple instances in his writing where he deals with the discipline of literature, which he reluctantly dropped in favour of philosophy and economics.
In a lecture by Dr Norbert Campagna, Marx's work is used as a starting point to explore three questions:
- In what ways do we argue that literature is a mirror of reality?
- In what way can the literary works of a particular period appeal to people spanning different generations?
- And finally, what is the historical role and mission of the author?
Norbert Campagna, Dr. phil. habil., is Associate Professor at the University of Luxembourg, teacher of the Preparatory Classes at the Lycée Classique d'Eschternach (LCE) and philosophy teacher at the Lycée de Garçons Esch-sur-Alzette (LGE). He has published 26 books, 40 articles for academic journals, and over 120 contributions to various collections of essays.
The lecture by Campagna will take place at the National Literary Centre (Centre National de Littérature) in Mersch on 3 May 2018 at 7.30 pm. Admission is free.
