Das Kaiserreich

work by Mann

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June 30, 2026

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Heinrich Mann's Kaiserreich trilogy, comprising Die Armen (1917), Der Untertan (1918), and Der Kopf (1925), is a critical examination of German society under Emperor William II. Mann, a novelist and essayist, used his works to attack the authoritarian social structure and the prevailing greed for wealth and power within Germany. His novels, like Professor Unrat (1905), which was adapted into the film The Blue Angel, are known for their sharp indictments of societal types produced by the state. Mann was a prominent advocate for democracy and was forced into exile when the Nazis came to power.1

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Heinrich Mann
His Kaiserreich trilogy—consisting of Die Armen (1917; The Poor); Der Untertan (1918; The Patrioteer); and Der Kopf (1925; The Chief)—carries even further his indictment of the social types produced by the authoritarian state. These novels were accompanied by essays attacking the arrogance of authority and the…
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His Kaiserreich trilogy—consisting of Die Armen (1917; The Poor); Der Untertan (1918; The Patrioteer); and Der Kopf (1925; The Chief)—carries even further his indictment of the social types produced by the authoritarian state. These novels were accompanied by essays attacking the arrogance of authority and the…
Read More