Based on the Faust material, Thomas Mann created a parable in his 1947 novel about musicians that illustrates the entanglement of artistry in the political catastrophe of National Socialism. No other novel by this author has been as controversial and hotly debated, even decades after its publication. We owe Ruprecht Wimmer a concise overview of this complicated history of reception, a critical apparatus with textual notes and numerous factual information, as well as the inclusion of all passages sacrificed to self-censorship.