In 1818, Karl Marx, the father of Marxism, which influenced both modern socialism and communism, was born in the house.

The significance of the house went unnoticed until 1904, at which point the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) attempted to acquire the home, succeeding in 1928.

On 14 March 1983, the 100th anniversary of Marx's death, the museum was re-opened after a year-long renovation that expanded it to three floors.

On 10 September 1987, during his diplomatic trip to West Germany, East German head of state Erich Honecker visited the Karl Marx House Museum and laid down 50 roses there.

[2] On the occasion of the bicentennial of Karl Marx's birth on 5 May 2018, the exhibition was completely reworked with a new concept entitled "From Trier to the World.