University Times

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures professor emeritus Klaus W. Jonas will be awarded the prestigious Thomas Mann Medal by the Thomas Mann-Gesellschaft on Oct. 11 during ceremonies in LŸbeck, Germany.

The society includes approximately 1,000 members throughout the world and awards the Thomas Mann Medal to scholars who have made exceptional contributions to the study of Thomas Mann's work.

Jonas was in Germany and could not be reached for comment, but Clark Muenzer, a faculty member in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, said the award is the highest honor a Mann scholar can receive.

"It isn't even awarded every year," Muenzer noted. "It is a very special moment in time when they decide that some one is deserving of the award. It's usually for a lifetime of work in a scholarly area directed toward Thomas Mann, not just a single book or five papers." Jonas, who retired from the University in 1985 after a 30-year career, is the world's pre-eminent Mann bibliographer. His three-volume work, "Bibliographie zur Thomas Mann-Forschung," lists over 6,000 references to works about Mann. When the first volume appeared in the early 1950s, Mann himself honored Jonas by noting its appearance. The second volume was published in the mid- 1970s and the final volume in the mid-1990s, according to Muenzer.

Jonas's collection of Mann books and papers were exhibited in Hillman Library in 1983. They since have been donated to the University of Augsburg, one of Pitt's sister institutions.

–Mike Sajna