Thomas Mann - Vom unpolitischen Betrachter zum „Wanderredner der Demokratie“

Written by Thomas Mann in 1901, 'Buddenbrooks' is a panoramic novel that explores the decline of the Buddenbrook family, a prominent family of grain merchants in Lübeck. The story spans four generations, highlighting the family's struggles with adapting to modernity, the conflict between practical and artistic orientations to life, and the eventual decay of their financial and moral standing. The novel is characterized by Mann's masterful use of leitmotifs, detailed character descriptions, and a blend of objectivity and subjectivity in its narrative style. It reflects Mann's ambivalence towards the value of artistic versus bourgeois life and is heavily influenced by the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer.

Der Untertan, published in 1918, is a bitter satire that critiques the authoritarian and chauvinistic society of the German Empire during the reign of Kaiser William II. The novel follows the life of Diederich Heßling, who rises to power by conforming to and exploiting the hierarchical structures of his time. Heßling's career spans various institutions, including school, university, the military, and business, where he consistently bows to those in power while treading on those below him. The novel highlights themes of authoritarianism, militarism, and the psychological origins of fascism, making it a prescient critique of the societal conditions that would later lead to Nazi Germany.