Maria Exner Bringing Together the Threads of #MutuallyMann
Thomas Mann Fellow Maria Exner, deputy editor-in-chief at Zeit Magazin, brings together the threads of #MutuallyMann in her video commentary. Following Olga Grjasnowa, she emphasizes the topicality of Thomas Mann’s critique of a nationalist concept of freedom. Taking up Max Czollek’s contribution, she underscores the importance of acknowledging and promoting the long history of German diversity. And with Alex Ross she sees Mann’s essay as a current call for political self-assessment.
As this video seems to be the last contribution by the invited experts with nothing else to follow I hereby wish to deliver my general comment about this second #MutuallyMann-initiative.
Pease let me start with my biggest thanks to those who made this initiative possible: The Thomas Mann House and the S. Fischer Verlag. It’s a wonderful idea to offer the opportunity not only to read once again one of Thomas Mann’s most important speeches and to follow the contributions from writers, intellectuals and renowned Mann researchers but to present our, the users’ own thoughts and comments as well.
Having said so, I right away have to address a big lack of this initiative: There have been no replies, no debates, no reactions on the users’ comments. With such a concept and a rather single-sided group of experts (Alex Ross and Kai Sina excepted) the forum almost inevitably had to develop into something close to an echo-chamber. Maria Exner’s in general welcomed attempt to bring together the threads did not really change anything thereon but, maybe, even made this assessment becoming more evident.
For the next time I, therefore, propose to allow a greater variety in the field of the experts and to encourage them to react to the users’ comments. It’s the discourse only which can bring us forward in building a better future. In the case of Monika Maron the S. Fischer Verlag, obviously, followed a different approach. As the publishing house administering the oeuvre of Thomas Mann the S. Fischer Verlag should have an interest not to further move into such dead-end.
Thank you.