Conversation with Thomas Mann

Abstract

On January 18, 1947, I had the good fortune of spending an afternoon at the home of Thomas Mann. Because of my interests at the time, a good part of our conversation dealt with Theodor Fontane, one of Mann's favorite authors. The first statement my interlocutor made evinced his unqualified admiration: Plauderhafte in Fontane, das er seiner gaskognischen Herkunft zuschreibt, wurde immer gelibster und schlief1lich wie feiner Nebel. Talking about Fontane's positive attitude toward the naturalists in general and Gerhart Hauptmann in particular, Mann said, Es gehbrt Mut dazu, im Alter Ansichten zu aindem, fiir die man keine Basis in seiner Jugend hat. This seemed to refer as much to Mann himself as to Fontane, for when I ventured to say that Fontane's life had been such as to broaden him and to keep him open-minded-Fontane's years in England had come up in the discussion-Mann replied, Ich war zu alt, als ich auswanderte, um ein neues Weltbild aus dem praktischen Weltbiirgertum zu formen. Aber natiirlich, man lemt ja doch im Erlebnis. Fontane's genuine liking for the British was, according to Mann, not only due to the former's interest in ballads. Er kannte sie ja, hatte ja da gelebt. Und hatte auch recht. Das Empire, im 19. Jahrhundert wenigstens, war ein Gliick fiir die Menschheit. Thomas Mann was surprised to learn that the name Buddenbrook occurs in Effi Briest. He repeatedly asked if I was sure. Did I not mean Buddenbrock? There was such a family ennobled by Frederick the Great. He recalled that for some time he did not know