Thomas Mann, 1875 – 1955, is considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. With him, the modern German novel connected with world literature. Mann's multifaceted work has received an unparalleled positive response worldwide. From 1933, he lived in exile, first in Switzerland and then in the USA. It was not until 1952 that Mann returned to Europe, where he passed away in Zurich in 1955.

Peter de Mendelssohn (1908–1982) grew up as the son of a goldsmith in the artist colony of Dresden-Hellerau. He published his first texts while working as an editor for the "Berliner Tageblatt." In 1933, he emigrated and built a new life in Great Britain. After World War II, he reported on the Nuremberg Trials and was involved in the establishment of the "Berliner Tagesspiegel" and "Welt." He became well-known as a biographer of Thomas Mann and as the editor of his diaries.