Lübeck celebrates 125th anniversary of Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks

Lübeck is celebrating the 125th anniversary of Thomas Mann’s novel ‘Buddenbrooks’ through various cultural events and exhibitions.

At the Buddenbrookhaus museum shop, an installation featuring a model of the fictional Buddenbrook house made from Playmobil parts is currently on display. Created by artist and scenographer Oliver Schaffer, the model uses almost exclusively original Playmobil components, with the exception of a custom-designed gable. This follows a previous collaboration involving a Thomas Mann miniature figure.

Additionally, the 68th Nordic Film Days Lübeck will feature a retrospective titled ‘Buddenbrooks p:reloaded’ from November 4 to 8. The program includes eleven films spanning several decades, exploring Scandinavian literary influences on Mann’s work and generational family sagas in Nordic cinema. The festival is collaborating with Lübecker Museen, which will host the ‘Family Affairs’ exhibition at the St. Annen-Museum starting October 30, 2026.