Karl Marx

Researchers who were to sift through every scrap of his writings could not find a single reference to a boyhood friend. After school he would follow his sister Sophie over to the home of her best friend, Jenny Von Westphalen. Here he would meet with the Baron Ludwig Von Westphalen. The Baron was a wealthy and distinguished Prussian nobleman who won Karl's respect. The Baron taught the boy the basics of government, religion, and philosophy. In the mean time, Karl and Jenny Westphalen fell hopelessly in love. .
             At sixteen, Karl graduated from the gymnasium with average scores. From there he moved on to Bonn University to study law. There he engaged himself in the party scene and spent much of his time drinking, socializing, and getting into fights. His father was outraged, and at the end of the academic year he arranged to pay off Karl's enormous debts if he would transfer to Berlin, a more "sedate" university. During this time, Karl kept close correspondence with Jenny. He composed poem after poem, hoping one day to gain recognition and become famous. Between semesters, he announced his engagement to Jenny. This enraged his father, who berated his son for going against the time-honored custom: A young man ensures parental approval before announcing the engagement. Additionally, Karl's income was insufficient and had yet to gain social status. However, the Baron presented no objections to the engagement. .
             In 1836, Karl transferred to Berlin, where his interests turned to the study of jurisprudence; and mainly, history and philosophy. Two years later, Heinrich Marx died of a liver ailment. Karl would never again feel so close to another human being. .
             While studying in Berlin, he discovered Hegelian idealism, and this quickly became the foundation of his own thought system, and Karl became a member of the young Hegelian movement. [In Hegelianism, all existence is bound up in a process of constant change.