Stempel, Schilder, Signaturen

Abstract The article discusses the potential and challenges of provenance research on annotated book copies based on the biographies of three volumes from the library of Thomas Mann. They illustrate how the copies repeatedly disturb the library’s order(s) at their respective locations, how they are charged with meaning, absorbed in other contexts, and how their traces are prone to getting lost. However, by broadening the perspective, taking minor characters, networks, literary references, and practices linked to the authorship of Thomas Mann into account, they change our knowledge of Mann’s life and work, his relationships with other authors, and the history of his personal library.