Karl Marx was born in Trier on May 5, 1818. He was one of nine children, and the only son to survive to middle age. He came from a family of scholars since both of his grandfathers were rabbis and Talmudic scholars. His family was middle class. His father was a lawyer who converted to Protestantism when Prussia banned Jews from practicing law. Marx was educated at Bonn University and Berlin University. He was a good classical scholar who was interested in Hegalian philosophy. He received his doctorate from Jena University but was never able to secure an academic position. He became a journalist.