Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. Numbers hardly count in estimating the book burning festival in germany on may 10 1933 reports range from an estimate of hundreds to tens of thousands of books. Nazi book burnings 10 may 1933 the british newspaper. Memorial in memory of the burning of books wikipedia. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 university towns across germany burned over 25,000 books. On may 10, 1933 student groups at universities across germany carried out a series of book burnings of works that the students and leading nazi party members associated with an ungerman spirit. May 10, 1933 marks the date of the infamous book burnings across germany. The largest recognized book burning demonstration took place on may 10, 1933. The city of munich staged a small event titled reading against forgetting. Berlin, germany, may 10, 1933, wide world photo, accessed. 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. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. German students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings.
The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german. The main book burning took place at berlins opera square, known today as bebel square, on the evening of may 10, 1933. Do you want to know the entry ticket price for memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning. Major book burnings, may 1933 us holocaust memorial museum. The memorial remembers the location of 1933 student book burnings and the destruction of ideas.
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 uncompromising state censorship. Some 40,000 people gather to hear joseph goebbels deliver a fiery address. 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. Book burning the piazza became renowned after the shocking incident that took place on the evening of 10 may 1933. The night of may 10, 1933, goebbels stated, these flames not only illuminate the final end of an old era. The book burning of may 10, 1933, was the peak of the. A member of the sa throws confiscated books into the bonfire during the public burning of ungerman books on the opernplatz in. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. The may 1933 book burning in nazi germany had a precedent in nineteenth century germany. This memorial commemorates the infamous may 10, 1933 book burning of more than 25,000 volumes there, which was presided over by the most intellectual of the nazi leaders, dr. 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.
Israeli sculptor micha ullmans 1995 memorial is an evocative symbol of the nazi book burning that took place here in 1933. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous. In the middle of the square on 10 may 1933, nazi students burnt the works of hundreds of independent authors, journalists, philosophers and academics. Lesezeichen, book marks, commemorating the burning of the books on 10 may 1933 at the bonner marketplace not all book burnings took place on 10 may as the german student union had planned. Bebelplatz is known as the site of one of the infamous nazi book burning ceremonies, held on may 10, 1933. On may 10, 1933, university students burn upwards of 25,000 ungerman books in berlins opera square. That night, tens of thousands of copies of books deemed undesirable by the nazi regime were consigned to the flames. Authors whose books were thrown into the flames by university students included such enemies of the german spirit as karl marx, albert einstein. The square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth. Today the empty library, a memorial by micha ullman consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a view of empty bookcases large enough to. May 10, 1933 students and storm troopers on the opera square in berlin with books and writings deemed ungerman. A commemorative plate remembers the book burning by the nazis on 15 may 1933 at the kaiser friedrich ufer in hamburg, germany, 15 may 20. Book burning memorial berlin, germany civil rights. The nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the german student union the dst.
The association had issued a manifesto called the twelve theses the previous month, denouncing jewish writings and calling for the promotion of pure german literature and language. May 10, 1933, a public burning of books in berlin, germany. 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. On may 10, 1933, nationalist students under the cheers of 70,000 onlookers burned as many as 20,000 books in front of the former royal prussian library on opera square in berlin the well organized and orchestrated book burnings took place simultaneously in 22 german cities, but the one most widely published and hence best known to the world was the book burning in the german capital berlin. It is believed that as many as 25,000 volumes were eliminated via flame.
The burning of books a hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and. On may 10, 1933, the german student association, a nazi front group, burned 25,000 books in 34 cities across germany. The students threw books onto large bonfires with great ceremony, bandplaying, and socalled fire oaths. Nazism germany 1933 1945 cultural affairs book burning flag burning berlin. The square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth members walk past carrying nazi flags. Several people read excerpts from book which were destroyed by the nazis on that fateful day. More than 20,000 books were brought to the square for the event. Where they have burned books, they will end up burning. On may 10, 1933, more than 25,000 volumes of ungerman books were burned in the square in front of the state opera in berlin. Memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning, berlin.
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. Berlins opernplatz, as it then was, was not the only square where 80 years ago nazi students burned books on may 10, scarcely three months after adolf hitler came to. Book burning in opera square, berlin, may 10, 1933. One of the largest us antinazi protests occurred in new york city in response to german university students burning more than 25,000 books that the nazis considered degenerate. Members of the nazi german student union and their professors burned approximately 20,000 books.
A ritual public burning of noxious jewish writings was held opposite the university of berlin on may 10, 1933. The bebelplatz is a public square in the central mitte district of berlin, the capital of germany. On 10 may 1933, the students burned upwards of 25,000 volumes of ungerman books in the square at the. The nazi german student association organized a large bonfire in the center of the square where approximately 20,000 books were burned. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books. Book burning, may 10, 1933 the nazi german student associations main office for press and propaganda made the nationwideaction against any ungerman books holocaust memorial museum. United states holocaust memorial museum the night of may 10, 1933, german students from some of the best universities in the world, gathered.
The 10 may 1933 book burning under the nazi regime is perhaps the most infamous one in history, but it was by no means the only book burning during that time period. On the anniversary of ceremonial nazi book burnings, germany is. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous book burning in history. The plaza is under construction so unlike a visit 18months ago, we were able to see the memorial previously in a construction zone. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 towns throughout germany burned upwards of 25,000 volumes of ungerman books, presaging an era of state censorship and control of culture. 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. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin bookburning on may 10, 1933. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. Many book burnings were held, but the book burning on may 10, 1933.
Plaque at bebelplaz commemorating nazi book burning, 10 may 1933. Student burned books which showed a different opinion than the one from the nazis. Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. Collections search united states holocaust memorial. In many other university towns, nationalist students marched in torch lit parades against the ungerman spirit. In flyers and in the press the students called for purging german writing of the. Nazis round up books to burn in hamburg, germany, may 15, 1933. Empty bookshelves bookburning memorial walled in berlin. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the book burning by the nazis people and writers will read from the books. It is a glass plate set in paving stones, and below it there is an underground room with empty bookshelves.
Action against the ungerman spirit, which began on april 12, 1933. The day did not go completely unnoticed here in munich today. Years later, after having defeated germany in 1945, the allied occupation authorities in germany drew up a list of over 30,000 titles. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. Many book burnings were held, but the book burning on may 10, 1933 was perhaps the most famous. On 10 may 1933, a large book burning took place on this square. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. How did americans respond news reports of the may 10, 1933, nazi book burnings in germany. Jewish subversive spirit and demanded of their colleagues that they denounce.