Part V Summary

Part V begins directly after the death of the Consul Buddenbrook. The Consul's brother-in-law and Frau Consul's brother Justus Kroger has arrived to discuss the will with the family. After the death of the Consul Kroger, Justus decides to sell their considerable estate, the one where Tony spent such happy times, to be demolished. It seems that the Consul Buddenbrook had quietly amassed a considerable fortune, well over a million Thaler. Thomas Buddenbrook decides to take over the business but to make his uncle Gotthold the Consul to the Netherlands and to make his father's assistant Marcus a partner in the business.

After eight years spent away from home in England and in Chile, the Consul's other son Christian returns home. He joins his family again but he seems out of place with his strange stories, his laziness and his love...