''Buddenbrooks'' portrays the decline of a wealthy merchant family of Lübeck, the Buddenbrooks, through three generations — Consul Johann "Jean" Buddenbrook (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and his wife Elisabeth "Bethsy" Buddenbrook (Iris Berben); their children Thomas (Mark Waschke), Christian (August Diehl) and Antonie "Tony" Buddenbrook (Jessica Schwarz); and Thomas' son Hanno (Raban Bieling).