The points of issue
German first edition, S. Fischer Verlag, Berlin, 1901, issued in two volumes (566 and 539 pages, text in Fraktur), in publisher's decorated cloth over beveled boards. The two-volume 1901 issue is the true first; Mann's debut novel and the work specifically cited by the Nobel committee. Referenced in the standard Mann bibliographies (Bürgin; Wilpert/Gühring).
Is this the true first?
The German two-volume S. Fischer 1901 set is the true first. The first English edition (Knopf, 1924, translated by H. T. Lowe-Porter) is the English first thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The far more common single-volume issue (from 1903 onward, with the well-known Wilhelm Schulz cover) was a cheaper format introduced to boost sluggish sales and is NOT the first; the true first is the 1901 two-volume set. The Lowe-Porter English translation is not the world first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Buddenbrooks (Buddenbrooks: Verfall einer Familie) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: German first edition, S. Fischer Verlag, Berlin, 1901, issued in two volumes (566 and 539 pages, text in Fraktur), in publisher's decorated cloth over beveled boards. The two-volume 1901 issue is the true first; Mann's debut novel and the work specifically cited by the Nobel committee. Referenced in the standard Mann bibliographies (Bürgin; Wilpert/Gühring).
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 two-volume S. Fischer 1901 set is the true first. The first English edition (Knopf, 1924, translated by H. T. Lowe-Porter) is the English first thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The far more common single-volume issue (from 1903 onward, with the well-known Wilhelm Schulz cover) was a cheaper format introduced to boost sluggish sales and is NOT the first; the true first is the 1901 two-volume set. The Lowe-Porter English translation is not the world first.
I have a first edition of The Buddenbrooks (Buddenbrooks: Verfall einer Familie) — 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.