Based on the Faust material, Thomas Mann created a parable in his 1947 novel about musicians that explores 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 the concise summary of this complex history of reception to Ruprecht Wimmer, along with a critical apparatus featuring textual notes and numerous factual information, as well as the inclusion of all passages sacrificed through self-censorship.