The final stage of Marx’s life involved significant and debilitating sicknesses, including liver ailments, painful skin boils, rheumatism, and other respiratory issues. Despite these obstacles, Marx continued to contribute to various newspapers, work on the second and third volumes of Das Kapital (both published posthumously), and taught himself various subjects, including chemistry, mathematics, and geology to continuously exercise his mind and keep up-to-date with differing aspects of society. Throughout these years, Marx took various “cures” in various countries to seek relaxation and relief from his assortment of health issues. He often visited his eldest daughter Jenny in France along the way. Shortly after his wife and eldest daughter passed away, however, Marx succumbed to his own sicknesses and died in the spring of 1883. His tomb still stands at Highgate Cemetery, located in London.

Key Words: Der Volksstaat, Volumes II and III of Das Kapital, Jenny Marx, Franco-Prussian War, Paris Commune, The Civil War in France, Health Issues, Critique of the Gotha Programme, Death

To explore the five other eras of Marx’s life, please click on one of the following links:Childhood and Education,  Entrance into Journalism and Affiliation with Rheinische Zeitung, Exile in Paris and Brussels,  1848 Revolutionary Events and Writings, and Exile in London: Before Das Kapital.

*To see a visual tour of Marx’s movements throughout this era and his entire lifetime, please click on the following link to download the file and open it up in a Google Earth program: Karl Marx Tour

Please see the link above to access the visual tour of Marx’s movements