The points of issue
German first edition, Bermann-Fischer Verlag, Stockholm, 1947 (full title: Doktor Faustus: Das Leben des deutschen Tonsetzers Adrian Leverkühn, erzählt von einem Freunde), issued as part of the Stockholmer Gesamtausgabe of Mann's works. The first printing is identified by the 1947 Stockholm imprint, in publisher's cloth (brown cloth with gilt spine in the collected-edition format).
Is this the true first?
The German Stockholm Bermann-Fischer 1947 edition is the true first published edition; it precedes the English editions (Knopf, 1948, translated by H. T. Lowe-Porter).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Frankfurt S. Fischer printings (post-1949) are not the Stockholm first. The Lowe-Porter English translation is a separate first thus.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Doctor Faustus (Doktor Faustus) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: German first edition, Bermann-Fischer Verlag, Stockholm, 1947 (full title: Doktor Faustus: Das Leben des deutschen Tonsetzers Adrian Leverkühn, erzählt von einem Freunde), issued as part of the Stockholmer Gesamtausgabe of Mann's works. The first printing is identified by the 1947 Stockholm imprint, in publisher's cloth (brown cloth with gilt spine in the collected-edition format).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The German Stockholm Bermann-Fischer 1947 edition is the true first published edition; it precedes the English editions (Knopf, 1948, translated by H. T. Lowe-Porter).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Frankfurt S. Fischer printings (post-1949) are not the Stockholm first. The Lowe-Porter English translation is a separate first thus.
I have a first edition of Doctor Faustus (Doktor Faustus) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.