ZAUBERBERG :: Expedition in die Gegenwart

In May 1912, Thomas Mann travelled in Switzerland to visit his wife Katia, who was undergoing a cure at Dr. Jessen’s Waldsanatorium in Davos. The author had an evening meal in the dining room along with the other patients suffering from lung disease, and this inspired him to write his novel for the ages, «Der Zauberberg» (The magic mountain).

 The RAUM+ZEIT art collective recreates this moment. The audience is given virtual reality glasses which take them back in time to 1912 where they meet the unforgettable characters of the novel – Hans Castorp, Clawdia Chauchat, Mynheer Peeperkorn and Leo Naphta – as they confront their creator. Alternating between VR and the reality of the stage, the early 20th and 21st centuries overlap to depict a saturated society that reveals catastrophes to come. Seen in this light, Mann’s masterpiece which he penned 100 years ago appears surprisingly and nightmarishly relevant.