The Best German Novels of the Twentieth Century is a list of books compiled in 1999 by Literaturhaus München and Bertelsmann, in which 99 prominent German authors, literary critics, and scholars of German ranked the most significant German-language novels of the twentieth century.[1] The group brought together 33 experts from each of the three categories.[2] Each was allowed to name three books as having been the most important of the century. Cited by the group were five titles each by Franz Kafka and Arno Schmidt, four by Robert Walser, and three each by Thomas Mann, Hermann Broch, Anna Seghers and Joseph Roth.[1]
| Year | Title | Author | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1930 (Volume 1) 1933 (Volume 2) 1943 (Volume 3) | The Man Without Qualities Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften | Robert Musil | |
| 2 | 1925 | The Trial Der Prozess | Franz Kafka | |
| 3 | 1924 | The Magic Mountain Der Zauberberg | Thomas Mann | |
| 4 | 1929 | Berlin Alexanderplatz | ||
| 5 | 1959 | The Tin Drum Die Blechtrommel | Günter Grass | |
| 6 | 1970 (Volume 1) 1971 (Volume 2) 1973 (Volume 3) 1983 (Volume 4) | Anniversaries. From the Life of Gesine Cresspahl Jahrestage 1-4: Aus dem Leben von Gesine Cresspahl | Uwe Johnson | |
| 7 | 1901 | Buddenbrooks Buddenbrooks: Verfall einer Familie | Thomas Mann | |
| 8 | 1932 | Radetzky March Radetzkymarsch | Joseph Roth | |
| 9 | 1926 | The Castle Das Schloss | Franz Kafka | |
| 10 | 1947 | Doctor Faustus Doktor Faustus | Thomas Mann |