#MutuallyMann was an interactive reading experience and a space for transatlantic conversation in times of social distancing and quarantine.

We, the Thomas Mann House and the S. Fischer Verlag publishing house invited readers from all over the world to read Thomas Mann’s essay Germany and the Germans. The lecture was given by Mann right after the end of World War II at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., New York and Los Angeles. He addressed Germany through the lens of his own experience and exile during the war.

The second edition of #MutuallyMann was an opportunity to re-read Mann’s thoughts against the backdrop of today’s transatlantic relationship and to share ideas, questions, images or favorite quotes on social media over the course of three days. Users could post their opinions, photos and comments in English or German on social media with the hashtag #MutuallyMann.

For the initiative, we gathered a group of exciting #MutuallyMann reporters, renowned authors and intellectuals to share their thoughts on the book, too! Participants included:

Among the participants of the second initiative in November and December 2020 were the writers Olga Grjasnowa, Jagoda Marinić, Max Czollek and former Villa Aurora Fellow Juan Guse, music critic Alex Ross (The New Yorker), David Morris (Library of Congress) and Katrin Bedenig (Director of the Thomas Mann Archive Zurich), renowned Thomas Mann expert Hans Vaget (Smith College), the literary scholars Veronica Fuechtner (Dartmouth College) and Stefan Keppler-Tasaki (University of Tokyo), the German studies scholars Meike Werner (Vanderbilt University) and Kai Sina (University of Münster), as well as Thomas Mann Fellow and journalist Maria Exner (Die Zeit).

From November 30 to December 1, users posted their opinions, photos and comments on social media with the hashtag #MutuallyMann. We channeled and collected many of them and those of our reporters on this blog. Check out our social wall to read all contributions and see what was happening on #MutuallyMann.

Find all information on the #MutuallyMann website.