Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. Berlin book burnings berlin jenkins, jake libguides. Some of germany s most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. The burning was organised by the german student association and the crowd was addressed by.
On the anniversary of the nazis ceremonial burning of books outside the opera house in berlin, the german library of burnt books. The square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth. National archives and records administration, college park, md. Many book burnings were held, but the book burning on may 10, 1933 was perhaps the most famous. The biggest bonfire was in berlin where more than 70,000 people went to see the burning of 20,000 books by notable intellectuals, scientists and cultural figures, most of whom were jewish. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. Memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning, berlin. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 university towns across germany burned over 25,000 books.
Bebelplatz is the place of the iconic book burning associated with the nazis. On 10 may 1933, books of reputable authors were burnt stigmatised as degenerated at the former opera square. Within 50 years, more than nine million copies of books had been printed, and book burning was no longer an effective thoughtcontrol measure. When books were burned in germany germany news and in. Originally published in the manchester guardian on 11 may 1934. But the unique symbolism of bookburning has a long and sinister history. A man waves flags of israel and germany at bebel square during a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of book burning by the nazis in berlin, germany, 10 may 2008. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience official.
In response to the book burning staged by the nazis in front of the berlin opera on the 10 may 1933, the kulturbund deutscher juden cultural society of german jews was established, launching its activities in the autumn of that year. More than 20,000 books were brought to the square for the event. The memorial remembers the location of 1933 student book burnings and the destruction of ideas. The mobs also burned the books of helen keller, an american author who was a socialist, a pacifist, and the first deafblind person to graduate from college. Based on the new york times story of may 11, 1933 on the berlin book burning. On may 10, 1933, university students burn upwards of 25,000 ungerman books in berlin s opera square. More night time shots people throw books onto the burning bonfire. Site of first nazi book burning in 1933 ironically, the square is better remembered today as the venue for the nazis first official book burning bonfire on may 10, 1933 just opposite humboldt university, where karl marx had been a student of hegels. Some 20,000 books by jewish authors and nonjews suspected of writing in a jewish spirit were thrown into the fire by an angry and exhilarated mob, many of them students. The nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the german student union the dst to ceremonially burn books in nazi germany and austria in the 1930s. It actually happen here and this is an amazing way to show the impact, a volume of empty shelves to represent knowledge lost. 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 burning of their books on may 10, 1933. Wells and many others go up in flames as they give the nazi salute.
Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of the national archives and records administration, college park, md. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. Fahrenheit 451 movie and the true history of book burning time. The books viewed as being subversive or representing the ideologies opposed to nazism were targeted for the nazi book burnings. The square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth members walk past carrying nazi flags. The aim was to ceremonially burn books that were considered to be ungerman. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. The main book burning took place at berlins opera square, known today as bebel square, on the evening of may 10, 1933. 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. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda. Nazi book burnings popular books burned by nazi during. Joseph goebbels speaks to the gathered young people. German students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings.
Nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of anti german literature in the opernplatz, berlin. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. The may 1933 book burning in nazi germany had a precedent in nineteenth century germany. On 10 may 1933, the students burned upwards of 25,000 volumes of ungerman books in the square at the state opera, berlin, thereby presaging an era of. On the evening of may 10, 1933, some 70,000 people gathered at the opernplatz in berlin. We arrived to bebelplatz ready to see it, butwe had some trouble locating it. 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. Books by freud, einstein, thomas mann, jack london, h. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. A memorial is erected at the center of the plaza that is a 2 x 2 glass window in the pavement to an underground chamber of empty book shelves. In the middle of the square on 10 may 1933, nazi students burnt the works of hundreds of independent authors, journalists, philosophers and academics. On the night of may 10, 1933, an event unseen in europe since the middle ages occurred as german students from universities once regarded as among the finest in the world, gathered in berlin to burn books with ungerman ideas. May 10, 1933 students and storm troopers on the opera square in berlin with. Opernplatz, berlin 10 may, 1933 johannes, johannes he heard his mother cry you are always late, i often wonder why he put on a clean shirt and a pair of leder hosen it was spring, so there was little chance of getting frozen.
A painting of nazi book burning in berlin 1933 any media that conveyed antinazi ideas or even other ways of life, was censored. On the night of 10 may 1933, a crowd of some 40,000 people gathered in the opernplatz now the bebelplatz in the mitte district of berlin. Berlin, 1933, students during the book burning on opernplatz, bundesarchiv, bild 10214598, k. A hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german.
The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. May 10, 1933 an event unseen since the middle ages occurs as german students from universities formerly regarded as among the finest in the world, gather in berlin and other german cities to burn books with ungerman ideas. The german student union the dst conducted a campaign, called the nazi book burnings, to ceremonially burn books in nazi germany and austria in the 1930s. The volumes consigned to the flames in berlin, and more than 30 other university towns around the country on that and following nights, included. Describe the scene of the 1933 book burning in nazi germany.
This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany. Despite the claims here, the burnings were not a spontaneous act on the part of the german students association, the name taken by the nazi student group of the university of berlin but a carefully planned and orchestrated event carried out by the association and nazi private police. Now german rather than latin bibles were published at such a low price that the masses could own and read one without priestly interpretation. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the nazis ideology campaigns. One day in berlin, this happened tips for visiting the book burning memorial in berlin. This content is available in the following languages. 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. During my trip to berlin, germany, with my mother, we knew we wanted to see the bebelplatz book burning memorial. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous book burning in history. May 10, 1933, a public burning of books in berlin, germany. In berlin 40,000 people gathered to hear german minister of public enlightenment and propaganda joseph goebbels give a speech in berlins opera square. Censorship of newspapers, radio, cinema and the theatre was enforced. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame.
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. Lgbtq institute in germany was burned down by nazis teen. Students had carted over 20,000 books to the public. The date signifies a mass book burning on bebelplatz, formerly known as opernplatz, in berlin germany. Some 40,000 people gather to hear joseph goebbels deliver a fiery address. Students contribute anti german books to be destroyed at a berlin book burning on may 10, 1933. In the center of this square on the tenth of may, 1933, national socialist students burned the works of hundreds of free authors, publishers, philosophers, and scientists. It is also home of the state opera building and the oldest roman catholic church. Nazis round up books to burn in hamburg, germany, may 15, 1933. May 10, 1933 german students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings. On may 10, 1933 student groups at universities across germany carried out a series of book burnings of works that the.
Do you want to know the entry ticket price for memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning. The largest of these book bonfires occurred in berlin, where an estimated 40,000. Nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of antigerman literature in the opernplatz, berlin, in 1933. In may and june 1933, a number of book burnings took place in germany, organised by the german student union. On the 10th of may 1933 the main event of an organized burning of books took place on the bebelplatz. Book burning in berlin facing history and ourselves.