The open-access journal "Wielogłos. Journal of the Department of Polish Studies at  Jagiellonian University" invites submissions for a special issue: "On healing the body and soul: On the centenary of the publication of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain".

In 2024, the Swiss town of Davos should attract not only the attention of politicians and economists but also literary scholars. The highest-located city in Europe is renowned thanks to Thomas Mann. It is precisely in Davos that the action of the novel The Magic Mountain unfolds.

This year marks the centenary of the publication of Der Zauberberg by S. Fischer Verlag in Berlin. The translation into Polish appeared relatively quickly, in 1930 (published by the "Rój" Publishing Society), and was the work of Józef Kramsztyk, Kazimierz Czachowski, and Juliusz Feldhorn. In the 1950s, the "Czytelnik" Publishing House commissioned a new translation of Mann's novel. The translation of the first volume was entrusted to Jan Kramsztyk, and the second volume – a fact not widely known – to Władysław Tatarkiewicz, who concealed his identity under the pseudonym Jan Łukowski. Tatarkiewicz was removed from academic teaching by the communist authorities from 1949 to 1956. During his forced leave, he worked on the monumental "History of Aesthetics" and translated Mann's work. It might seem that Tatarkiewicz, who employed precise and clear language in his essays, was not suited to translate Mann's prose, which revels in ambiguity. Hence, it is worth examining what influence the translator – an eminent Polish intellectual: philosopher, historian of philosophy and art, ethicist, and aesthetician – left on Mann's novel. This is one of the topics worth further research in this anniversary year. The post-war edition of The Magic Mountain was accompanied by an introduction by Roman Karst (real name Adolf Tuchman), a distinguished expert on the works of the German Nobel laureate and his biographer. It would be fruitful to consult the works of this author to uncover the specificity of his interpretation of Mann's work.

Another topic worth investigating is the undisputed vitality of The Magic Mountain. Mann's novel continues to inspire writers. It is worth mentioning, among others, the novels The Discovery of Heaven by Harry Mulisch, Castorp by Paweł Huelle, and The Empusium. A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk. The Magic Mountain has also been the subject of numerous film, theatrical, and operatic adaptations. The centenary of its publication may present an opportunity to rekindle interest in Mann's novel and to attempt a new, more contemporary interpretation. Of particular note is the exploration of the theme of spa treatments. Mann drew from observations and experiences related to his wife Katia's stay at one of the health resorts in the Swiss Alps. Tuberculosis patients were then recommended treatments at altitudes above 1300 metres above sea level. The spas became a kind of waiting room or shelter for them. In Mann's world, aesthetic, philosophical, and musicological discussions unfolded in such spaces. Patients focused on themselves and their pains (practicing "the sociology of suffering"). The spa guests of the "Berghof" observed from afar the preparations for war in Europe, marvelling at the political changes.

Mann's novel serves as an important document for the history of medicine. Spa treatment in mountain resorts was reserved for the elite. Climatotherapy and the use of iatrogenic pneumothorax (which prolonged the lives of patients but significantly worsened their comfort) were then the only methods of treating tuberculosis. Residents were advised to take walks and lounge on the terrace because breathing in the crystalline mountain air alleviated their symptoms. The fictional advisor Behrens focused on somatic aspects, in line with the prevailing diagnostics and therapeutic procedures of the time. Meanwhile, his assistant, Dr. Krokowski, favoured "Seelenzergliederung" (psychoanalysis) and pseudoscientific methods.

The overarching goal of stays in sanatoriums was (and still is) the treatment of the body first, then the soul (or simultaneously the body and soul). Apparent inactivity encourages intellectual and creative engagement. In Zakopane, during tuberculosis treatment, the boldest visions of Father Maximilian Maria Kolbe were born, which he later realised upon his return to his congregation.

In her article Sanatorium Literature, Inga Iwasiów pointed out a certain duality: "The sanatorium motif appears (…) both antiquated and contemporary." This theme remains intellectually attractive and relevant, as it is worth considering that the issue of sanatoriums has been trivialised, stereotyped, and reduced to the somatic sphere. Therefore, it is valuable to revisit the prose of Thomas Mann and his depiction of the sanatorium treatment idea, and then confront it with the portrayals found in contemporary literature.

In the planned issue, we would like to engage in reflection on the aforementioned themes, as well as other aspects related to the contemporary reception of Mann's novels. Please submit your papers, edited according to the guidelines posted on the website, via e-mail to: wieloglos.redakcja@uj.edu.pl or using the link „Submit article” on our website. Full paper submission deadline is September 30, 2024.