Katia Mann

She married the writer Thomas Mann.

• Name — Katia Mann • Birth Name — Katharina Hedwig Pringsheim • Born — 24 July 1883 • Birthplace — Feldafing near Munich, Germany • Died — 25 April 1980 • Place of death — Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland • Children — Erika, Klaus, Golo, Monika, Elisabeth, Michael • Parents — Hedwig Dohm Alfred Pringsheim • Relatives — Klaus Pringsheim Sr. (twin brother)

• Illustration — Katia's childhood home, Pringsheim Palace, Munich Katia was born in Feldafing near Munich, into one of the wealthiest families in Germany. She was the granddaughter of German-Jewish industrialist Rudolf Pringsheim and the great-niece of the banker Hugo Pringsheim. At the age of 21, in the fall of 1904, she aborted her studies of physics and mathematics at the request of her mother and aunt, to marry the writer Thomas Mann on 11 February 1905, in Munich. She continued her studies as a guest student for another four semesters. Katia and Thomas Mann had six children (see section "Children" infra). Katia later converted to her husband's Lutheranism. left

• Illustration — Portrait of Katia Pringsheim as a child, Franz von Lenbach • Illustration — The tomb of Katia, Thomas and Michael Mann, in Kilchberg • Name || Birth || Death • Erika — 9 November 1905 — 27 August 1969 • Klaus — 18 November 1906 — 21 May 1949 • Angelus ("Golo") — 27 March 1909 — 7 April 1994 • Monika — 7 June 1910 — 17 March 1992 • Elisabeth — 24 April 1918 — 8 February 2002 • Michael — 21 April 1919 — 1 January 1977

Katia Mann became ill in autumn 1911, a year after Monika's birth. The illness was first suspected to be tuberculosis, but X-ray examinations found no evidence of the disease. Her mother, Hedwig, put the illness down to exhaustion. Katia had given birth to four children and suffered two miscarriages in less than five years. In addition, she typed for her husband and arranged his appointments on top of the tasks of a large household. Hedwig realised that her daughter needed rest, and in January 1912, Katia was one of the first patients to be admitted to the Wald Sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland. Thomas Mann's visits to her there inspired his novel The Magic Mountain. Up to May 1914, Katia spent several months in sanatoriums, which (according to her) strengthened her so that she could "stand it all". While the Mann family lived in exile, Katia Mann continued to take care of her six children and husband. She was not just a strong woman but a unifying figure that kept the family together. She educated her children and was her husband's office manager. She outlived three of her children (Klaus, Erika and Michael) and her husband. She died in Kilchberg near Zürich. Thomas Mann made a sort of "portrait" of her in his novel Royal Highness.

Katia Mann was recorded at birth as Katharina Hedwig Pringsheim. Her recorded language was German. Her recorded confession was Lutheranism. She was the child of Alfred Pringsheim and Hedwig Pringsheim. She married Thomas Mann. 4 children are recorded: Erika Mann, Klaus Mann, Golo Mann and Monika Mann.