Thomas Mann Lecture with Jan Assmann

Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse corresponded with each other for decades: Mann appreciated Hesse’s Steppenwolf and regarded The Glass Bead Game as being related to his own novel Doctor Faustus. In his lecture, Jan Assmann addresses the less established references between the works of both authors and shows the connections between Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game and Mann’s Joseph novels.

This year, the Thomas Mann Lecture will once again allow for attendance. Jan Assmann will give his lecture “Thomas Mann’s ‘Journey To The East’ – The Joseph Novels” on 30 November 2022 at 18.00, at the Audi Max of ETH Zurich. The event can be watched online at the same time.

Internationally renowned cultural scientist

Jan Assmann has been researching cultural memory together with Aleida Assmann for decades. Their collaborative work has shaped cultural studies worldwide. Jan Assmann’s contributions on Thomas Mann’s relationship with ancient Egyptian culture also make him an indispensable part of Thomas Mann research.

The Thomas Mann Lectures at ETH Zurich

The Thomas Mann Lectures see internationally renowned literary scholars invited to lecture at ETH Zurich every year. The series of lectures is organised by the Thomas Mann Archives in collaboration with the Professorship of Literary and Cultural Studies at ETH Zurich. The lectures address fundamental and topical issues inherent in Thomas Mann’s oeuvre and are aimed both at the interested general public as well as an academic audience.