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Thomas Mann
 150 years

llustration of Thomas Mann © Autograph

Thomas Mann was born 150 years ago, and his legacy is as alive as ever. A master of the modern novel. A Nobel laureate. A sharp political mind. Mann shaped the literary and intellectual life of the 20th century. But who was he really? What stirred his imagination? Unfold the layers of a writer who never stopped observing, questioning, and vocalising.

Life & Legacy

What shaped Thomas Mann before he became a Nobel Prize-winning author? In this section, we trace moments, places, and people that shaped him — and those he, in turn, shaped.

Slideshow

At home with Thomas Mann

From Lübeck to Los Angeles: Thomas Mann’s life story took him from Europe to the USA and back again. Our slideshow gives you an insight into the many different places where the Mann family lived.

Graphic in shades of grey showing a section of a world map. In North America and Europe, Thomas Mann's places of residence (Lübeck, Munich, Zurich, Nida, Princeton and Los Angeles) are labelled and lines indicate the route Thomas Mann took from one place to another. © Tobias Schrank © Tobias Schrank

  • Celebrating 150 years of Thomas Mann

    Thomas Mann Revisited

    Why is Thomas Mann still regarded today as one of the most important German storytellers of the 20th century? Literary scholar and Thomas Mann expert Friedhelm Marx offers insights into the life and legacy of this iconic author.

    Thomas Mann 1916, portrait at desk, coloured Photo (detail): © picture alliance / ullstein bild Photo (detail): © picture alliance / ullstein bild

  • Julia Mann

    The concealed heritage

    Researcher Veronika Fuechtner examines the enormous influence Julia Mann had on the aesthetics of her son Thomas Mann's work, and explains in the interview why literary criticism addresses this aspect so scantly if at all. 
     

    Julia Mann-da Silva Bruhns, left in picture Photo (detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_1290 Photo (detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_1290

  • Exile in Paradise

    Villa Aurora and Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles

    During the Nazi regime, many German artists and intellectuals found refuge in Southern California. The authors Lion Feuchtwanger and Thomas Mann were among the most prominent “exiles in paradise”. Join us on our audio voyage to their former homes in Los Angeles.

    Thomas Mann | ETH Library Zurich, Thomas Mann Archive ETH Library Zurich, Thomas Mann Archive, unknown photographer ETH Library Zurich, Thomas Mann Archive, unknown photographer

  • Mann's life

    Nobel laureate in literature and “later” democrat

    Thomas Mann wrote great literature all his life. Almost three decades after the publication of "Buddenbrooks", the writer received the Nobel Prize for Literature for his debut novel on 10th December 1929.
     

    Thomas Mann Photo (detail): © picture alliance/United Archives | 91050/United_Archives/TopFoto Photo (detail): © picture alliance/United Archives | 91050/United_Archives/TopFoto

  • Julia Mann

    Thomas Mann’s Brazilian Mom

    After years of negotiations, the establishment of a cultural centre in Julia Mann's birthplace in Paraty, Brazil, remains uncertain. Experts have noted the importance of an institution dedicated to the Manns, as Julia Mann played a key role in shaping the lives of Thomas and Heinrich Mann.

    Portrait of Julia Mann with children Photo (Detail): ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_0005 Photo (Detail): ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_0005

For democracy to triumph, it must fight, even if it has long been unaccustomed to fighting.
Thomas Mann

Work & Interpretation

Mann's works have inspired decades of reading — and rereading. Here, we explore the interpretations and ideas that keep his stories alive across generations.

The Buddenbrooks

Family Affairs

In the summer of 1900, Thomas Mann sent a handwritten copy of Buddenbrooks to the publisher Samuel Fischer. Małgorzata Łukasiewicz takes a close look at this work and deciphers it to uncover Mann’s ideas.

Katia Mann with her children Klaus, Erika, Golo and Monika (1916) Poto (detail): © picture alliance / ullstein bild Poto (detail): © picture alliance / ullstein bild

  • Between two Worlds

    Bourgeois and Artist Thomas Mann

    Thomas Mann grappled with it his entire life – this inner tension between bourgeois existence and his calling as an artist. We explore a conflict that shaped his literary work more than anything else.

    Film still from “Death in Venice” by Luchino Visconti (Björn Andresen and Dirk Bogarde) Foto (Detail): © picture alliance / Mary Evans Picture Library Foto (Detail): © picture alliance / Mary Evans Picture Library

  • Joseph and His Brothers

    Thomas Mann and his Joseph in exile

    Thomas Mann's Joseph novels are more than just a retelling of the Bible: they are a literary alternative to National Socialism - and a reflection of his exile.

    Thomas Mann, bust portrait, profile to the left, cigar in his right hand, head resting on his left hand, looking up from his work. Foto (Detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_3035 Foto (Detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_3035

  • For beginners

    Reading tips for the “Magic Mountain”

    Thomas Mann’s novel “The Magic Mountain” has the reputation of being a book for “true intellectuals”. It need not be quite so daunting, however: we have some tips for the less scholarly inclined and for Thomas Mann novices determined to give this literary classic a chance.

    High Mountain Photo (detail): Etienne Bösiger; © Unsplash Photo (detail): Etienne Bösiger; © Unsplash

  • Reading experience

    “The Magic Mountain” as bedtime reading

    The Polish literary critic Justyna Sobolewska describes how she sinks into the plot of the novel “The Magic Mountain”. 

    A woman in the background Mountains Photo: Tobias Schrank Photo: Tobias Schrank

  • The Magic Mountain

    A trick of self-development

    Theodor W. Adorno recommended that readers of Thomas Mann's novel should forego the arduous task of deciphering the symbols and instead read the work three times. The author Katarzyna Trzeciak writes about why it is worth considering this suggestion.

    Theodor Adorno Photo (detail): © picture-alliance / akg-images | akg-images Photo (detail): © picture-alliance / akg-images | akg-images

Relevance & Influence

What does it mean for a writer to stay relevant — decades after their time? Our authors discuss how Mann's words continue to resonate in today’s conversations.

  • Mann and Kafka

    An interrupted round of golf

    Thomas Mann never met Franz Kafka, but he was an avid reader of his works. How, then, did Mann discover Kafka, how did he interpret him, and what role did an interrupted round of golf have in it all? Find out in this article by writer and philosopher Grzegorz Jankowicz.

    Golf club and ball in the grass Photo (detail): Mahadev Ittina © Unsplash Photo (detail): Mahadev Ittina © Unsplash

  • A special relationship

    Thomas Mann and Italy

    Thomas Mann returned to Italy, the wellspring of his creativity, throughout his life. Yet despite Italy being a source of inspiration, his writings present a surprisingly sombre portrait of the country.

    Photo postcard “Grandhôtel des Bains” – Venice, Lido; in the background a large building, in front of it a body of water with numerous people bathing and two Venetian gondolas Foto (Detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_4887 Foto (Detail): © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Thomas-Mann-Archiv / Fotograf: Unbekannt / TMA_4887

Canvas, Chimes & Cinema

What if you could listen to what Mann listened to, or see his stories come alive on screen? This space opens unexpected doors into Thomas Mann’s creative universe.

Psychological test

Which Thomas Mann novel character are you?

Impostors, dreamers, unconventional free spirits and crazy dogs. There are many exciting characters in Thomas Mann's novels. Which character are you? Find out with our psychological test.

Illustrations of Mann's novel characters: Imma Spoelmann Illustration: © Bea Davies Illustration: © Bea Davies

More Mann?

Want to read more by Thomas Mann? In Onleihe, you’ll find his eBooks, eAudios, and eFilms—all for free.