Klaus Mann > Quotes

“Memories are made of peculiar stuff, elusive and yet compelling, powerful and fleet. You cannot trust your reminiscences, and yet there is no reality except the one we remember......”
― Klaus Mann, The Turning Point: Thirty-Five Years in this Century, the Autobiography of Klaus Mann

“The worst will happen. Think of me, children, when that day comes. I have foreseen it and predicted it. Our age is corrupt. It stinks. Think of me - I smelled it out. I am not deceived. I sense the coming catastrophe. It will be like nothing that has ever happened. Everything will be swallowed up, which will be no loss-except in my case. Everything that exists will fall apart. It is rotten. I have sensed it, tasted it and cast it away from me. When it comes, it will bury us all. I pity you children, for you will not be able to live your lives. Whereas I have had a beautiful life”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“„Der Propagandaminister -- Herr über das geistige Leben eines Millionenvolkes -- humpelte behende durch die glänzende Menge, die sich vor ihm verneigte. Eine eisige Luft schien zu wehen, wo er vorbeiging. Es war, als sei eine böse, gefährliche, einsame und grausame Gottheit herniedergestiegen in den ordinären Trubel genusssüchtiger, feiger und erbärmlicher Sterblicher. Einige Sekunden lang war die ganze Gesellschaft wie gelähmt vor Entsetzen. Die Tanzenden erstarrten mitten in ihrer anmutigen Pose, und ihr scheuer Blick hing, zugleich demütig und hassvoll, an dem gefürchteten Zwerg. Der versuchte durch ein charmantes Lächeln, welches seinen mageren, scharfen Mund bis zu den Ohren hinaufzerrte, die schauerliche Wirkung, die von ihm ausging, ein wenig zu mildern; er gab sich Mühe, zu bezaubern, zu versöhnen und seine tief liegenden, schlauen Augen freundlich blicken zu lassen. Seinen Klumpfuß graziös hinter sich her ziehend, eilte er gewandt durch den Festsaal und zeigte dieser Gesellschaft von zweitausend Sklaven, Mitläufern, Betrügern, Betrogenen und Narren sein falsches, bedeutendes Raubvogelprofil.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“So lebte Barbara, und vielleicht gab der Umstand, das sie auf Nicoletta wartete,daß sie zu jeder Stunde des Tages auf Nicolettas überraschende Ankunft vorbereitet war, ihren Leben den geheimen Sinn, das rätselhafte Zentrum, das es bedurfte.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“Every moment, as it has passed, has changed something in them; Time has transformed the faces, voices, laughter. For Time is a murderer, and every moment is a little death,(...)”
― Klaus Mann, Symphonie Pathétique

“M. Larue almost fell upon the neck of Höfgen, so delighted was he to see him again. "Oh, oh, mon très cher ami! Enchanté - charmed to see you again." There was a shaking of hands and cordial laughter. Wasn't it a pleasure for M. Larue to live in the new Germany? Wasn't his new love in his well-fitting SS uniform much prettier than any of those dirty Communist youths in days gone by? Bonsoir, mon cher, I am utterly delighted - long live the Führer. That very evening, Larue insisted, he would send a report to Paris saying how happy and peace-loving everyone was in Berlin. No one has any wicked, aggressive thoughts.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“Elle sentit de la compassion pour son corps, une compassion si grande qu'elle menaçait de faire exploser son cœur: parce que son corps était là dans la nuit. Elle voyait ses épaules, ses bras maigres qu'il tenait serrés contre sa poitrine grelottante, ses genoux adorés, son front barré de petites mèches humides: elle en aurait presque pleuré. C'était son corps, celui qui lui avait échu, ce corps qui devait vivre, résister, grelotter, désirer, se réjouir, c'était son corps plein de vie, la seule chose qu'il possédait vraiment: et il n'avait d'autre choix que d'être là debout devant elle dans la nuit.”
― Klaus Mann, Nouvelle d'enfance

“No había dos clases de vida, como ella había creído en aquella noche embriagada: la vida en reposo y la vida en movimiento. Sólo existía la vida, que crecía hacia su encuentro con la muerte.”
― Klaus Mann, Kindernovelle (Fischer Bibliothek)

“Ruhe gibt es nicht, bis zum Schluss. Und dann? Auch am Schluss steht noch ein Fragezeichen.
(There is no peace until the end and even then there would still be a question mark.)”
― Klaus Mann, Der Wendepunkt

“He looked like an excited sixteen-year-old with his tousled hair and shining eyes. Barbara could not deny she liked him, even though every word he said was repellent to her. With an eloquence that frequently tied itself in knots but was of an unflagging vehemence he explained to her that the faith for which he was fighting was basically revolutionary. 'When the day arrives and our Führer takes over supreme power, then that's the end of capitalism and the economy of the big bosses. The servitude of usury will be abolished. Big banks and stock exchanges that bleed our national economy white can close their doors, and no one will mourn them".
Barbara wanted to know why Miklas did not join the Communists if he, like them, was against capitalism. Miklas explained as eagerly as a child reciting a lesson learned by heart. "because the Communists have no patriotism for the fatherland, but are supranational and dependent on Russian Jews. AndCommunists don't know anything about idealism-all Marxists believe that the only purpose in life is money. We want our own revolution-our German, idealistic revolution. Not one that will be directed by Freemasons and the Elders of Zion.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“El tiempo pasaba sin que ella se diera cuenta de nada. Su dolor engullia el tiempo y era más fuerte que él. El dolor era más fuerte que todo. Todas las cosas estaban hechas de dolor. Ella estaba sufriendo, y en su vida sólo consistía en este sufrimiento. Cada respiración era dolor. «La nada era tranquila y buena» - pensó lentamente-”
― Klaus Mann, Kindernovelle (Fischer Bibliothek)

“In der Welt dieses Dichter-Arztes gibt es nichts nichts - außer Tod und Geschlecht.

Über Arthur Schnitzler.”
― Klaus Mann, Tagebücher 1936-1937

“Barbara estava acostumada a ser procurada por seus amigos quando estavam necessitados e desesperados. Não apenas Nicoletta tinha compartilhado com ela suas confissões complicadas; também homens jovens e mesmo amigos mais velhos de seu pai vinham vê-la quando precisavam de alguém que os consolasse. Ela era experiente nas dores dos outros; desde o começo da sua juventude, ela se proibira de compartilhar ou levar a sério as próprias dores, a própria falta de rumo. Por essa razão, parecia que não havia nada que perturbasse seu equilíbrio interior. Os amigos consideravam Barbara uma pessoa das mais equilibradas, com enérgica inteligência, competências múltiplas, amadurecida, suave e segura.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“(...) enkele grote gevoelens blijven het mensenhart bezighouden: eerzucht en liefde, eenzaamheid en honger, vriendschap en angst voor de dood - of verlangen daarnaar.”
― Klaus Mann, Der Vulkan

“- Es una vergüeza, ¿sabe usted? Es una vergüeza vivir. La nada era tranquila y buena. En calma, apacible e ignorada, giraba en su bondad. Entonces also se movió, brotaron malas convulsiones ¿Qué demonio era el causante? ¿Qué diablo empujó la nada dándole vida? ¿De qué se vengaba? ¿Por qué deben pensar los condenados a la vida? Es una enfermadad , una horrenda maldición...”
― Klaus Mann, Kindernovelle (Fischer Bibliothek)

“He's always lying and he never lies. His falseness is his truth - it sounds complicated, but actually it's quite simple. He believes everything and he believes nothing.”
― Klaus Mann, Mefisto

“Yes, I am beginning to be frightened in Berlin. Things are about to happen there that horrify me - and the most horrible part of it is that the people around me seem not to see the danger. They are struck with blindness.”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto

“[describing 'the prime minister' i.e Goering] He loved war as a child loves Christmas”
― Klaus Mann, Mephisto