''Royal Highness'' (german: Königliche Hoheit) is a 1909 novel by

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...

. It is Mann's second novel and was written between the summer of 1906 and February 1909. ''Royal Highness'' is characterized by its

fairytale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cul ...

-like qualities and was modeled after Mann's own romance and marriage to

Katia Mann Katia Mann (born Katharina Hedwig Pringsheim; July 24, 1883 – April 25, 1980) was the youngest child and only daughter (among four sons) of the German Jewish mathematician and artist Alfred Pringsheim and his wife Hedwig Pringsheim, who was ...

in February 1905. First published in 1909 in '' Die neue Rundschau'', the novel was met with great enthusiasm from the public. However, it was met with a more divided reception from critics.

Film adaptation

In 1953, the novel was adapted into film by

Hans Abich Hans Abich (4 August 1918 – 17 July 2003) was a German film producer.Rentschler p.13 Selected filmography * '' Love '47'' (1949) * ''Keepers of the Night'' (1949) * '' A Day Will Come'' (1950) * '' The Day Before the Wedding'' (1952) * '' His ...

and

Rolf Thiele Rolf Thiele (7 March 1918 – 9 October 1994) was a German film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. He directed 42 films between 1951 and 1977. He was born in Ústí nad Labem, Prödlitz, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ...

under the same title, '' Königliche Hoheit''. Directed by

Harald Braun Harald Braun (26 April 1901 – 24 September 1960) was a German film director, screenwriter and film producer. He directed 21 films between 1942 and 1960. Selected filmography * ''The Roundabouts of Handsome Karl'' (dir. Carl Froelich, 193 ...

, it was produced in the studios of Filmaufbau GmbH Göttingen in

Agfacolor An Agfacolor slide dated 1937 from café in Oslo, Norway. An Agfacolor slide dated 1937 from Paris, France. An Agfacolor slide dated 1938 from Hungary. An Agfacolor slide dated 1938 from Zakopane in Poland. An Agfacolor slide dated 1938 fr ...

. The main characters were portrayed by

Dieter Borsche Albert Eugen Rollomann (25 October 1909 – 5 August 1982), better known as Dieter Borsche, was a German actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1935 and 1981. Since 1944, he suffered from muscle atrophy and had to use a wheelchair ...

Ruth Leuwerik Ruth Leuwerik (; 23 April 1924 – 12 January 2016) was a German film actress, one of the most popular stars of German film during the 1950s. She appeared in 34 films between 1950 and 1977. Leuwerik is probably best known for her portrayal of Mar ...

and

Lil Dagover Lil Dagover (; born Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Seubert; 30 September 1887 – 23 January 1980) was a German actress whose film career spanned between 1913 and 1979. She was one of the most popular and recognized film actresses in the Weimar ...

. Thomas Mann's daughter,

Erika Mann Erika Julia Hedwig Mann (9 November 1905 – 27 August 1969) was a German actress and writer, daughter of the novelist Thomas Mann. Erika lived a bohemian lifestyle in Berlin and became a critic of National Socialism. After Hitler came to power ...

, played a small role in the film.

References

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External links

1909 German novels Novels by Thomas Mann German historical novels German novels adapted into films S. Fischer Verlag books {{Europe-novel-stub