Big celebrations for Thomas Mann's 150th birthday in Lübeck!

Big celebrations for Thomas Mann's 150th birthday in Lübeck!

Lübeck, Deutschland - Today, on June 6, 2025, the 150th birthday of the famous writer and Nobel laureate Thomas Mann will be reminded. He was born in Lübeck in 1875 and is primarily known for his important works such as "Buddenbrooks", "The Magic Mountain" and "Joseph and his brothers". Mann not only wrote outstanding literature, but also committed himself politically and vehemently campaigned for democracy during his exile. Against the background of such significant life events, events take place worldwide, especially in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the USA to celebrate its heir.

The celebration of his exile residential building, the Thomas Mann House in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, and a ceremony in Lübeck is one of the celebrations. Here the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to take part in the ceremony. In addition, an exhibition entitled "My Time. Thomas Mann and Democracy" will be opened in the Buddenbrookhaus.

a life between words and resistance

Thomas Mann grew up in a merchant family and began his literary career with the “Buddenbrooks” published in 1901, which granted him financial independence and earned him the Nobel Prize in 1929. The work that deals with the decline of a family of merchant has been sold 3.5 million times to date. "The Magic Mountain", written between 1913 and 1924, reflects the social currents before the First World War.

The political upheavals in Germany led to a decisive change in Mann's life. First of all, after the founding of the Weimar Republic in 1919, he developed into the advocate of democracy. In 1933, due to the seizure of power of the National Socialists, Mann went into exile. First he fled to the south of France, then to Zurich, before he finally emigrated to the USA, where he continued to fight the Nazi regime.

exile and literary creativity

In the USA, man wrote numerous important works, including the "Joseph" tetralogy and "Doctor Faustus". He gave lectures, wrote political essays and spoke in radio broadcasts to the German people, in which he pointed out the atrocities of the Nazi regime. His critical statements not only brought him fame, but also considerable hostility. When the Nazis announced his German citizenship and his honorary doctorate in 1936, this was another clear break with his home country.

The time in the USA was not without challenges. Man was monitored by the FBI and the political atmosphere of the McCarthy era was worried. In 1944 he received American citizenship, but uncertainty about his return to Germany was always present. Finally, Mann returned to Zurich in 1952, where he died on August 12, 1955

Thomas Mann's literary work and his commitment to democracy have lost none of their importance to this day. The persistent appreciation of his inheritance, especially in the form of exhibitions and events at different locations, proves its lasting relevance in the cultural and political landscape. Man remains a symbol of resistance to dictatorship and wrong.

Further information on Thomas Mann can be found on Südkurier , Deutsche Welle and NZZ .