"One cannot experience love more intensely", wrote Thomas Mann in 1943 about his relationship with Paul Ehrenberg. The two met in 1899 in a Munich salon. Ehrenberg was studying animal painting, while Mann was an editor at Simplicissimus working on his first novel, Buddenbrooks. Their meeting drew the reserved Mann out of his shell. Paul showed him the lively side of Munich, introducing him to coffeehouses and carnival balls in Schwabing.
Their close friendship lasted several years. Even after their paths diverged in 1933 – Paul stayed in Germany and adapted to the Nazis, while Mann went into exile – they remained significant to each other. Oliver Fischer details their life stories, which culminate in Mann's novel Doctor Faustus. In it, Mann immortalizes his love for Paul as the conflicted violinist Rudi Schwerdtfeger, who is killed by a jealous lover.
