Buddenbrooks

Socio-historical context, although not directly discussed in Buddenbrooks, is central to its narrative. In the late 19th century, Germany underwent significant change. Set between 1835 and 1877, the novel mirrors the dynamic political and social shifts occurring in Germany, condensing a broader historical span into a more concise narrative timeframe.

Johann Buddenbrook Senior’s era is marked by the impact of Napoleon’s conquests, reflecting a time when German territories were fragmented and French cultural influence was prominent. His son, Jean, embodies the values of the post-Napoleonic era, marked by a quest for stability and moral rectitude. Thomas Buddenbrook navigates the transformative period leading to the establishment of the German Empire, while Hanno, his son, witnesses the unification of Germany and its emergent challenges.

The unification of Germany in 1871 under Prussian leadership marked the birth of a nation-state, transforming the political and social landscape. This period saw rapid industrialization and a change of the old social orders and values. The Buddenbrooks, who represent the old bourgeois class, find themselves grappling with these societal shifts. As Hugh Ridley (2008) notes,

The effects of this ‘backwardness’ in Germany’s development as a modern state have often been discussed by historians. For our purposes, we may note that it led among the German middle classes to a paradoxical situation in which, precisely at the apex of Germany’s military and economic power, a large section of the population took refuge in a backward-looking cult of tradition and showed little interest in the values and social forms which had brought them prosperity and unity. It was symptomatic of a widespread feeling that traditional values were being cast aside for the questionable advantages of economic modernization (12-13).

Therefore, Mann positions the Buddenbrook family as a microcosm for a society resisting a significant cultural and historical shift. Although the family considers itself to be closer to the aristocracy than to the middle classes, their fear of the changing times, stubborn adherence to traditional practices (such as arranged marriages that reify the family’s social and economic standing), and their lack of higher education place them further away from the elite classes than they would like. In such a context, they find themselves vulnerable to various shifts in society, which tradition does not prepare them for. For example, they are easily tricked by the swindler Bendix Grünlich, who knows how to manipulate a good, traditional family into believing he is everything they desire when he is, in fact, the opposite.

The city of Lübeck, the setting of Buddenbrooks, was a prosperous city within the Hanseatic League. In the second half of the 19th century, it undergoes significant transformation. The novel captures the city’s evolving relationship with the rest of Germany, from its special status and relative autonomy to a more integrated role within the unified nation. This shift is mirrored in the fortunes of the Buddenbrook family, whose decline parallels the waning prominence of Lübeck.