1933 german book burning memorial berlin

The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. Berlin, 2006, book burning memorial by night, stiftung denkmal many poets and authors living in the german reich felt compelled to leave the country following the. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. Based on the new york times story of may 11, 1933 on the berlin book burning. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 university towns across germany burned over 25,000 books.

It is also home of the state opera building and the oldest roman catholic church. Book burnings in opernplatz, berlin one of the first targets of adolf hitler and his nazi organization were books. These book burnings marked the beginning of a period of. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. The books to be burnt were chosen according to blacklists made by the librarian wolfgang herrmann, which were then used to plunder private bookshelves, public libraries and academic collections. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda.

Book burning online exhibit at the united states holocaust memorial museum web site words on fire, a site about u. This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany. The bookburning on 10 may 1933, members of the nazi german student union and their professors burnt books as part of a nationwide action against the ungerman spirit. Describes the student parade that preceded the bonfire, the chants that accompanied the consignment of some authors works to the fire, and the speech by joseph goebbels in the midst of the occasion. The bebelplatz is known as the site of one of the infamous nazi book burning ceremonies held in the evening of 10 may 1933 in many german university cities. Some 40,000 people gather to hear joseph goebbels deliver a fiery address. Major book burnings, may 1933 us holocaust memorial museum in a symbolic act of ominous significance, on may 10, 1933, university students burned upwards of 25,000 volumes of ungerman books, presaging an era of state censorship and control of culture. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. A composite image of visitors to the bebelplatz memorial, known as the site of one of the infamous nazi book burning ceremonies, held on may 10, 1933. We were standing in the middle of bebelplatz, a large square in berlin, germany, where the nazi book burning of all books by jewish writers or about the jewish faith occurred in 1933, and which now was the location for a memorial for the book burning travesty. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. On may 10, 1933, university students burn upwards of 25,000 ungerman books in berlin s opera square.