[.] changed his name to Demuth.”. Engels goes on to list the value of the legacy and concludes with (tr.) “A translated copy of the will is enclosed. Respectfully & sincerely - F. Engels”. On pages three and four follows the text of the will and testament, in the form of a handwritten copy by Engels, in English, with a German translation: “I Helen Demuth [.] declare this to be my last will. I leave all my monies, effects and other property to Frederick Lewis Demuth.. / Ich Helene Demuth [.] erkläre daß dies mein letzter Wille ist. Ich vermache alle meine Gelder, Effekten und sonstiges Eigenthum an Frederick Lewis Demuth..”. Dated 4 November 1890 and declared legitimate by her lawyer in front of the witnesses Friedrich Engels, Eleano Marx-Aveling and Eduard Aveling (Karl Marx’ youngest daughter and her husband). Inscribed “16 - Safe” in pencil on the lower edge. Partially discoloured and stained. On the death of her father in 1826, Helene Demuth (1820 - 1890) was forced to work as a maidservant while still a young girl. In 1837, she joined the family of councillor Johann Ludwig vonWestphalen of Trier, whose daughter Jenny married Karl Marx in 1843. In 1845, Helene Demuth was sent by Jenny’s mother to help the couple in Brussels as housekeeper. She remained in this position with the Marx family in Brussels, Paris, Cologne and in their exile in London until the deaths of Jenny (1881) and Karl Marx (1883). She subsequently kept house for Friedrich Engels until her death on 4 November 1890, on which state of affairs he remarks in the abovementioned letter (tr.) “Then began for me such years of contentment, tranquillity &, dare I say, domestic bliss as I had not known since the death of my wife in 1878”. Frederick Lewis Demuth (1851 - 1929) was probably the illegitimate son of Karl Marx and Helene Demuth. Throughout her life, his mother never revealed his father’s identity. Even Friedrich Engels is alleged to have once acknowledged paternity so as not to leave Karl Marx open to attack by his political enemies. In this letter, Engels again conceals the circumstances of Frederick’s birth. As a child, he was assigned to the Lewis foster family in London, whose name he adopted. All his life, he is said to have been on good terms with his half-siblings. Comes with a studio portrait of Helene Demuth by “Cha.S J Gearing & Co.” in London, inscribed “Helene Demuth 1890” in pencil on the back, measuring 16 x 10 cm, plus two extracts from the register of births at St. Wendel registry office, dated 1921, pertaining to the Riefer and Demuth families. Provenance: From a private German collection. Acquired in October 1984 from the antiquarian bookshopDr. Helmut Tenner of Heidelberg, including photocopies of the relevant catalogue pages (lot numbers 16 and 17) and the article (tr.) “An unpublished letter from Friedrich Engels on the death of Helena Demuth”, published in Wuppertaler Rundschau on 8 November 1984, with a full report on the sale of the letter. Moreover, a letter from the Institute for Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee of the SED to Antiquariat Tenner, dated 10 October 1984, requesting he contact the (tr.) “happy owner of the Friedrich Engels autograph, listed as no. 16 in the auction catalogue” to obtain a (tr.) “high-quality photocopy” and ask whether (tr.) “one of our staff might be permitted to inspect the original now and then?”. TwoDINA4 pages, with the corresponding letterhead, signed by the deputy director of the Institute at that time, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Gemkow (1928 - 2017). Also includes the envelope. 308512 II - III € 25.000 (1881) und Karl Marx (1883) im Londoner Exil. Anschließend führte sie bis zu ihrem Tod am 4.11.1890 den Haushalt von Friedrich Engels, was dieser in obigemBrief mit denWorten kommentiert, es „fingen für mich Jahre der Zufriedenheit, Ruhe & ich kann wohl sagen des häuslichen Glücks an wie sie mir seit dem Tod meiner Frau 1878 nicht mehr gegönnt gewesen.”. Bei Frederick Lewis Demuth (1851 - 1929) handelt es sich wohl um den unehelichen Sohn von Karl Marx und Helene Demuth. Seine Mutter verschwieg ihr Leben lang die Identität des Vaters, sogar Friedrich Engels soll einmal die Vaterschaft eingeräumt haben, um den politischen Gegnern von Karl Marx keine Angriffsfläche zu bieten. Und auch in diesem Brief verschleiert Engels die Herkunft von Frederick. Dieser kam als Kind in London in die Pflegefamilie Lewis, deren Namen er annahm, zu seinen Halbgeschwistern soll er zeitlebens aber ein gutes Verhältnis gehabt haben. Dazu ein Studioportrait Helene Demuths von „Cha.S J Gearing &Co.” in London, rückseitig in Bleistift bezeichnet „Helene Demuth 1890”, Maße 16 x 10 cm, sowie zwei Auszüge aus dem Geburtsregister des Standesamtes St. Wendel aus dem Jahr 1921 über die Familien Riefer und Demuth. Provenienz: Aus einer deutschen Privatsammlung. Erworben im Oktober 1984 beimHeidelberger Antiquariat Dr. Helmut Tenner, dazu in Fotokopie die entsprechenden Katalogseiten (Losnummern 16 und 17) sowie der Artikel „Ein unveröffentlichter Brief Friedrich Engels’ zum Tode der Helena Demuth” der Wuppertaler Rundschau vom 8.11.1984 mit einem ausführlichen Bericht über den Verkauf des Briefes. Zudem ein Brief des Instituts für Marxismus-Leninismus beimZK der SED vom 10.10.1984 an das Antiquariat Tenner mit der Bitte, sich an den „glücklichen Besitzer des unter Nr. 16 des Auktionskataloges genannten Friedrich-Engels-Autographen” zu wenden, um eine „hochwertige Fotokopie” zu erhalten und „einem unserer Mitarbeiter gelegentlich Einsicht in das Original zu geben?”. Zwei Seiten, DIN A4, mit entsprechendem Briefkopf, unterschrieben vom damaligen stellvertr. Direktor des Instituts, Prof. Dr. HeinrichGemkow (1928 - 2017). Dabei auch das Kuvert. Friedrich Engels (1820 - 1895) – an important, handwritten letter to Adolf Riefer, nephew of Helene Demuth, the late housekeeper of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, 12 November 1890 Double sheet measuring 17.8 x 11.3 cm, the fold completely torn, folded twice. Handwritten by Engels in ink on all four pages. The header reading “122 Regents Park Road N.W. - London 12 Nov. 1890”, addressed to “Herrn Adolf Riefer in Saarburg i/Lothr.”. Engels informs him of the death of his aunt on the 4th of the month: “Tante Fräulein Helene Demuth am 4. ds. Mts.”. He has known her since 1845 (tr.) “when she, on the death of my friend Marx, gave me the honour & pleasure of accepting to run my household. [.] We laid her to rest on Friday, 7 November, in the same grave in whichMarx &FrauMarx are buried. Together with myself & Marx’ daughters, thousands of friends of all nations, in the plains of America and the political prisons of Siberia & in all countries of Europe are mourning her loss. The deceased made a will and testament, in which she names as her sole heir the son of her late friend, [.] Frederick Lewis, whom she had adopted, as it were, from a very young age and raised as her own. Some time ago, this same Lewis, in gratitude, | 247
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