The original papers of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, World Classics, are digitized and now online accessible. The papers can be consulted from anywhere and by anyone who logs into the catalogue website of the International Institute of Social History.
‘Marx and Engels at the Neue Rheinische Zeitung’, design E. Sapiro, BG C4/356
These famous and precious archives are used intensively by highly specialized researchers. They are among the most influential pieces of writing in world history and still play a major role in the rethinking of capitalism, labour, economic crises and revolution. Non-academics will enjoy the historical sensation of having these papers at their fingertips – reading them would be another matter, as Marx’ handwriting is extremely fiddly.
The Marx/Engels papers have been preserved at the International Institute of Social History (IISH) in Amsterdam since 1938. The digitization of the archives was a most complex job. High-quality digital master files will be kept in a digital repository.
