Thomas Mann, (1875 - 1955) is one of the 20th century’s most significant writ- ers. He is credited with bringing the German novel to the international stage, and his multifaceted works have received a worldwide positive reception which has rarely been equalled. From 1933 onwards, he lived in exile, first in Switzer- land, then in the US. Only in 1952 did Mann return to Europe, where he died in 1955 in Zurich.