Der Vulkan: Roman unter Emigranten

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Born on November 18, 1906, in Munich, Klaus Mann began writing novellas at the age of 15. He founded a theater ensemble with his sister Erika, Pamela Wedekind, and Gustaf Gründgens. In 1929, he undertook a world tour. During his emigration, which took him through Amsterdam, Zurich, Prague, Paris, and finally to the USA, he became a central figure in international antifascist journalism. He published the magazines "Die Sammlung" (1933-35) and "Decision" (1941-42) and returned to Germany as a US correspondent. In 1949, he took his own life for personal and political reasons after calling for reflection in his pessimistic essay "Die Heimsuchung des europäischen Geistes." Mann distanced himself early from the sentiments of his parents' generation and addressed the life crisis of the "young" in his stylistically mature children's novella and in the autobiography "Kind dieser Zeit." His most significant novels, including "Symphonie Pathétique," "Mephisto. Roman einer Karriere," and "Der Vulkan," emerged in exile. In his autobiography "Der Wendepunkt," Mann's diction achieves a mature, factual clarity, representing a generation shaped in the 1920s that suffered from the powerlessness of the spirit in a torn post-war world.