The life and work of Friedrich Engels from Barmen | Engels House
Friedrich Engels changed the world with his work. The son of a factory owner from Barmen fought against the impoverishment of the working class in the 19th century and, together with Karl Marx, developed the social and economic theory now known as Marxism. The Engels House built in 1975 was originally the home of his grandfather and now offers insights into the life and work of the successful entrepreneurial family Engels at the time of early industrialisation. It is also one of several sites belonging to the Museum Industriekultur Wuppertal.
Follow the turbulent life of Friedrich Engels
The permanent exhibition on the life and work of Wuppertal’s famous son presents him as a real all-rounder: philosopher, social critic, historian, journalist, communist revolutionary, military expert, cosmopolitan and, at the same time, also a linguistic genius, athletic, communicative and hard-drinking, but always a gentleman and basically a workaholic … or, as Karl Marx aptly described him: “a true universal encyclopaedia”.
In the Engels House, you can also immerse yourself in the bourgeois living culture of a factory owner's family around 1830. The rooms give an authentic insight into how the Engels family lived. Special highlights include the music room with its elaborate stucco work and the imposing wallpaper room, whose colourful depictions of river and coastal landscapes still impress today.
Tours of the Engels House
Public guided tours of the Engels House take place at regular intervals. It is recommended to book these in advance. For further information, please visit
here.
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