Though writing in 1917, Mann was reflecting 1914, the year that was to be the German 1789, the establishment of the German idea in history, the enthronement of Kultur, the fulfillment of Germany's historic mission. In August, sitting at a café in Aachen, a German scientist said to the American journalist Irwin Cobb: We Germans are the most industrious, the most earnest, the best educated race in Europe.
In 1917, Thomas Mann reflected on the significant events of 1914, a pivotal year for Germany that paralleled the French Revolution of 1789. This year marked the rise of the German cultural identity and the realization of its historic aspirations. Mann suggested that 1914 was a defining moment in the establishment of what would become known as German Kultur, underscoring the importance of this period in history.
During this time, a...
