Discover the world of Thomas Mann in two new exhibitions
From 01 March 2023, two new exhibitions at the Thomas Mann Archives in the ETH main building will provide insights into the life, work and political involvement of one the most famous writers of the 20th century.
In the permanent exhibition, “The Furnishings of a Writer. Thomas Mann and his study”, you can learn more about the creative environment and other aspects that influenced Mann’s writing. Highlights include his famous desk, which accompanied him into exile, his private library and various objects from different cultures.
The exhibition explains how Mann went about his work, presents the tools and habits that shaped the author’s writing process and describes his typical working day and family life.
Between 01 March and 06 August 2023, you can also find out more about Thomas Mann’s life in Europe in “Thomas Mann. Europe beware!” This temporary exhibition explores how Mann’s fascination with Europe – as a cultural space and a political project – developed during his lifetime, and how his view of the relationship between Europe and Germany changed over the decades. With the rise of National Socialism and his experience of exile in Switzerland and the US, Mann came to see himself as a world citizen. In a video installation, authors Laura de Weck, Dana Grigorcea, Usama Al Shahmani and Michail Schischkin speak about the significance of Mann’s ideas to the Europe we know today.
“These exhibitions have been completely redesigned, giving visitors the chance to rediscover the life and work of Thomas Mann,” explains Tobias Amslinger, Director of the Thomas Mann Archives. “Now that we’ve set up in our new, permanent home in the ETH main building, we can take a contemporary look at the writer’s legacy.”
Opening ceremony
A ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new exhibitions will be held at 18.00 on 28 February 2023. Dr Stefan Mann, representing the Mann family, will be in attendance as a guest of ETH Zurich, while author Dana Grigorcea will offer her own, contemporary take on Mann’s work and reflect on writing as a practice. This will be followed by a drinks reception, and guests will also have the opportunity to visit the exhibitions.
If you would like to join us for the opening ceremony, please register external page here by 20 February 2023.
Thomas Mann Archives
Since 1956, the Thomas Mann Archivesat ETH Zurich have preserved the personal papers, private library and furniture from the final study of Thomas Mann, author and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Run by the ETH Library, the archives serve as a research centre for the author’s life, work and legacy. To mark the relocation of the archives to the ETH main building, two new exhibitions are being opened.