“I am truly attached to Munich, where I spent half my life.”
(Thomas Mann to Munich’s Mayor Thomas Wimmer, June 8, 1955)
On June 6, 2025, Thomas Mann, one of the most significant writers of the 20th century, would have celebrated his 150th birthday. To mark this occasion, Monacensia invites you to a special anniversary program featuring a guided tour, a display of archival materials, and the participatory format “Brought Along! – Thomas Mann in Personal Objects.”
3:00 PM – Guided Tour (Ground Floor):
Literary Munich in the Time of Thomas Mann
A tour for Thomas Mann’s 150th birthday
In 1894, the 19-year-old Thomas Mann moved from Lübeck to Munich, where he spent nearly four decades as a writer and family man. When the Nazis seized power in 1933, Mann was abroad on a lecture tour and ultimately decided never to return to Germany or Munich.
The permanent exhibition “Literary Munich in the Time of Thomas Mann” explores what defined literary Munich between Hitler’s “Capital of the Movement” and the Schwabing bohemia, using Mann as a central figure.
4:15 PM – Forum Atelier:
“Brought Along!” – Thomas Mann in Personal Objects
What does Thomas Mann mean to you? Do you have a personal memento connected to his work or life?
Whether it’s a school edition of Death in Venice or an original autograph, you are warmly invited to bring your Thomas Mann memorabilia, present it, and share your stories with others.
With: Marion Bösker-von Pauckner (Literaturhaus München), Dirk Heißerer (Thomas Mann Forum), and Theresa Schlesinger (Münchner Kammerspiele)
Would you like to present your item on stage? Write to: monacensia.programm@muenchen.de
5:15 PM – Salon Hildebrand:
Thomas Mann in the Literary Archive
Monacensia holds one of the largest autograph collections of Thomas Mann, including the manuscript of Fiorenza, the only completed drama in his oeuvre. In 1924, Mann personally donated the handwritten manuscript to the Munich City Library’s newly founded manuscripts department.
Archive director Thomas Schütte presents Fiorenza and other selected items in an exclusive archival showcase.
Afterward, Monacensia invites you to enjoy cool drinks in the garden!
