Die Sammlung was established in September 1933 by Klaus Mann, who – for some time without pay – functioned as the publisher of this literary monthly. A total of 24 issues were published by Querido Verlag Amsterdam under the auspices of André Gide, Aldous Huxley and Heinrich Mann. Despite the deceptive subtitle, the journal positioned itself as a decidedly political publication in the foreword to its first issue: “What we want to collect is that which seeks a humane future rather than disaster; that seeks civilisation rather than barbarism [...].  Anyone who disdains this stupidity and crudeness remains German [...], although this title may be temporarily denied him by the misguided part of his own nation.” (ed. trans.)

Many authors who were worried about alienating their German readership distanced themselves from the project in view of such invective despite having previously considered participating, including Stefan Zweig and Thomas Mann. Die Sammlung was especially abhorrent to the Nazi press. “The communist and Jewish literati who have fled from Germany are now trying to surround Germany with a wall of literary stink-gas from their crevice”, blustered Die neue Literatur in November 1933. “Undoubtedly the most dangerous reptile is [...] the Sammlung published by the half-Jew Klaus Mann.” (ed. trans.)

Due to a drastic decline in subscribers – the number sank from 2.000 to 400 – the journal had to be discontinued in August 1935.