The Patrioteer

work by Mann

Also known as: “Der Untertan”

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July 1, 2026

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Heinrich Mann's novel Der Untertan, translated as The Patrioteer, is a critical indictment of German society under Kaiser Wilhelm II. The term "patrioteer" itself refers to someone who displays patriotism insincerely or for self-serving reasons. Mann uses this concept to expose the greed for wealth, power, and status prevalent in Wilhelmine Germany.12

The novel, part of Mann's Kaiserreich trilogy, alongside Die Armen (The Poor) and Der Kopf (The Chief), further critiques the authoritarian social structure and the subservient attitudes it fostered. Mann's work, including The Patrioteer, served as a powerful social commentary and an attack on the arrogance of authority and the public's uncritical acceptance of it.1

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Heinrich Mann
…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 subservience of the subjects. A lighter work of this period is…
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…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 subservience of the subjects. A lighter work of this period is…
Read More