REMEMBERING A HERO
As events are being held to mark the bicentenary of Karl Marx’s birth, The Power of Truth, an exhibition in Beijing, looks at various facets of his life. Lin Qi reports.
Could a high school student’s paper be an insightful one? In 1835, teachers at the Trier High School, in then Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany), received such a piece from one of the graduates-to-be.
In this graduation composition titled Youths’ Considerations in Choosing Occupations, the writer expressed an ambition for a job serving the people.
He said if one chose a lofty career seeking the best for mankind, then, he would not be overwhelmed with heavy responsibilities, as he was making a sacrifice for the benefit of all people.
The composition earned its author, a precocious schoolboy named Karl Marx (1818-83), good remarks from the examiner who said his composition was “rich in ideas, showing a deep understanding of things”.
It proves, after nearly 200 years, that Marx was not trading words for high marks, as he truly lived up to his high expectations for a fruitful life.
In his prime, he was considered an important philosopher, political theorist and revolutionary socialist.
His thoughts on communism have been put to practice around the world, and became the foundation of several communist states in the 20th century.
His name evolved to be an expression of a theory (Marxism).
Now, celebratory events are being held to mark the bicentenary of Marx’s birth, especially in China where he is highly regarded.
Among them is an ongoing exhibition titled The Power of Truth, running through Aug 5 at the National Museum of China, which gives a comprehensive look at the life and work of the German philosopher, as well as how his ideas inspired the Chinese to build a communist state.
Dozens of important documents are on show, including a copy of his well-rated high school graduation composition, copies of Marx’s birth certificate signed by his father Heinrich, the certificate of his graduation from the University of Berlin and the cover of his doctoral thesis, The Difference Between the Democritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature, for which he was awarded a PhD by the University of Jena, in 1841.
His work at Rhineland News was an important part of Marx’s career, although it lasted only one year.
There, he denounced the dictatorial regime of Prussia and defended benefits for laborers, in his writings. Copies of his articles in the Rhineland News are also on show.
One section of the exhibition has copies of the Communist Manifesto published in different languages and countries over the years, showcasing the extensive influence of Marx and his lifelong companion Frederick Engels.
Among them is a Chinese version published in 1938, with a hand-written notation by the late premier Zhou Enlai in 1943, in Yan’an, China’s revolutionary cradle in Shaanxi province.
The theories of Marx and Engels are widely practiced in China. But when and how were they introduced to the Chinese?
The exhibition features a copy of an issue of Wan Guo Gong Bao (A Review of the Times) from 1899, in which the names of the two first appeared in the Chinese media.
They were mentioned in an article written by the British missionary Timothy Richard.
Another exhibit is a copy of an article by the revolutionary Zhu Zhixin (1885-1920) — recognized by the late chairman Mao Zedong as “a pioneer of the spread of Marxism in China” — on the life and work of Marx and Engels.
Mao once said that three books were deeply rooted in his memory and built his belief in Marxism — the Chinese version of the Communist Manifesto translated by Chen Wangdao, The Class Struggle by the Czech-Austrian philosopher Karl Kautsky and A History of Socialism by Thomas Kirkup.
The three books are also on display.
Meanwhile, the exhibition also dwells on Marx’s family life, a deep love between him and his wife, Jenny von Westphalen, with whom he had seven children.
The exhibition also showcases 24 oil paintings on Marx by Chinese artists, with one of them depicting a touching family scene in which Marx read William Shakespeare’s works to his wife and daughters.
The work was produced by veteran oil artist Sun Jingbo, a retired professor from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, who at 74 is the oldest featured painter at the show.
“My generation grew up with a firm belief in Marxism,” Sun says. “His ideas are what I admire and pursue for. And in this painting I want to highlight his other side as a caring husband and father. The harmony of his family and his devotion to his children’s education also constitute the greatness of his personality.”
Jin Rui, 45, the youngest artist on show, executed a colored ink painting showing an aspiring young Marx communicating with his schoolmates in Trier.
“When I painted this work, the melody of The Internationale kept running through my mind,” he says.