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 German scientist expressed a strong sense of national pride to American journalist Irwin Cobb while in a café in Aachen, claiming that Germans were the most dedicated, industrious, and educated people in Europe. This sentiment highlights the self-perception and confidence of the German people during a transformative period, reflecting their beliefs in their cultural mission and superiority at the onset of the Great War.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
