Collection of four manuscript police reports in French from the period of the Belgian Revolution in 1848, totaling 34 pages, approximately 8 x 12.5, covering Marx’s communist activities in the time leading up to his expulsion from Belgium, as well as the riots and revolution attempts in Brussels during this period. A “7th District” report, in part (translated): "Marx goes to Paris to create a revolutionary central committee…Engels and Gigot…On the evening of the 4th March, provocation to revolt at ‘The Court of Brussels’ cafe where we guess that Marx would be…Since a few days meeting almost everyday at Vogler's house, Villa Hermosa Street 18, with Breyer, Schnee and Marx before his expulsion.” An entry in a “4th District” report, dated February 26, mentions two very suspect Germans, one being Marx. Another report, dated February 26 (translated): “Meeting of one hundred Germans at Le Cygne on the Grand Place…Marx and Bornstedt were the leaders; the cafe owner refuses to serve and expels them because they are Republicans.” The seventeen page document is a report on Republican and Communist clubs created in Brussels in 1847 and 1848, in part (translated): "November 1847: the society ‘Association Democratique’ is created. Among the founders the general Mellinet, Spilthorn, Tedesco, Jottrand, Picard, Faider, Serrault and a lot of strangers as Maynz, Marx, Werth, Breyer, von Bornstedt, Lelewel, Lubliner, Imbert, Bree…On the 21st November Marx was designated as vice-president…At the same time the ‘Societe des Ouvriers Allemands’ was created. This society was led by Marx, Breyer and von Bornstedt…The aim of this society was to unify German workers ‘for conversation, songs and discussions’ but the only purpose of this society was to involve workers in politics for the propagation of the communists ideas…In the evening of the 27th February, a German doctor [Marx was usually described as a German doctor] wanted to buy all the knives at a gunsmith.” Also includes a page from the newspaper L'independance Belge, April 7, 1848, describing the expulsion of Marx from Belgium. Expected document wear and some edge tears, otherwise overall fine condition. From the family archives of police chief Pierre-Jean-Francois van Bersel. Marx was supportive of the unrest and revolution that spread throughout Europe in 1848, and he was charged with using a recent inheritance to arm Belgian workers who were planning rebellious action. He was arrested by the Belgian Ministry of Justice and then forced to flee to France, where he sought refuge under its new Republican government. An interesting series of reports offering a unique perspective of Marx’s actions.
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