hidden europe 28

In spite of Trier

by Nicky Gardner

Picture above: The exhibition in the Karl-Marx-Haus in Trier very successfully brings alive a potentially rather dry topic (photo © hidden europe).

Summary

The birthplace of Karl Marx is, a little improbably it might seem, in the Moselle city of Trier. It is a place that nowadays seems irredeemably bourgeois. Yet Marx' legacy is superbly documented in Trier's Karl-Marx-Haus.

There are many lessons to be learnt on the streets of Trier. The small city in Germany’s Moselle valley seems to be the very epitome of bourgeois perfection, evidently populated by citizens who cannot get too much cake and surely tend gardens decorated with gnomes. A guide preaches to a party of French tourists, reminding them that the Romans were living the good life in Trier long before Paris was founded.

Surely there is poverty in those run-down apartment blocks on the wrong side of the railway tracks. And, yes, old men do sleep rough in the alley behind the cathedral, but they are not seen in the heart of Trier by day. Out of sight, out of mind, for a society that likes cake and clean streets.

Walk west from the all-too-neat city centre onto Brückenstraße and Trier becomes more interesting.

This is just an excerpt. The full text of this article is not yet available to members with online access to hidden europe. Of course you can read the full article in the print edition of hidden europe 28.
Related articleFull text online

More than just Calvin: the Geneva story

We take a look at a European city which has often styled itself as a place of refuge. Geneva has long taken a stand on human rights. So join us as we explore the many sides of Geneva, the Swiss city that turns out to have impeccable radical credentials.

Related articleFull text online

Between the Steppe and the Sea

For Odesa writer Issac Babel, his home town was 'the most charming city of the Russian empire'. For many visitors today, Odesa is one of the most striking Black Sea ports. Join us as we head up the Potemkin Steps to discover Odesa.

Related articleFull text online

Admiralty Handbooks: Baedekers with a Twist

Some of the best academic minds in Britain spent the Second World War writing guidebooks about far-flung places. We explore a clandestine area of professional geographical endeavour which resulted in the Naval Intelligence Guides – often called the Admiralty Handbooks.