Thomas Mann's essayistic works from the years 1914-1926 document a crucial phase in the author's creative output and biography. Following the approving reactions to the outbreak of World War I and the defense of Wilhelmine society, there is a public declaration of commitment to democracy in 1922 ("From German Republic"). The essays from these years are closely linked to the major works emerging simultaneously, namely "Reflections of a Nonpolitical Man" and "The Magic Mountain." The essay volumes in this edition contain, for the first time, all essays, speeches, and personal statements of all kinds. "Essays II" includes around 200 texts, including "Friedrich and the Great Coalition," "Goethe and Tolstoy," and "Parisian Accountability.".