Includes a chapter examining the history of heinrich heines tragedy almansor, in which appears the prescient line. Germany burned thousands of books they considered to be ungerman. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous book burning in history. The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german. A hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. Three months later, book burnings began on college and university campuses. The memorial by micha ullman consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a view of empty bookcases, is to receive a new glass plate since the old one is scratched and obstructs the view. Many book burnings were held, but the book burning on may 10, 1933 was perhaps the most famous. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda. Keen on nazi ideals, the young leapt to the mission of cleansing germany of degenerate influences such as heine, remarque and freud.
On may 10, 1933 there occurred across germany a mass destruction of some of germanys most valuable creative works. Compares the 1933 book burnings to other cases of book burning and censorship in german history. The drive behind such acts can either be political, cultural, or religious resistance to the material in question. While the european kings and priests were busy burning, over in the new world of 1650, the puritan general court in massachusetts confiscated and condemned a religious pamphlet by william pynchon and it was burned in the boston marketplace in what was probably the first american book burning. When books were burned in germany germany news and in. About ten percent of germany s university teaching force was sacked in 1933 34, with devastating results for disciplines such as quantum physics and mathematics where jews had been prominent. This time, however, the critics were in nazi germany, and instead of simply disagreeing with her, they added her collection of essays, how i became a socialist, to a list of degenerate books to. Hans kilson, a jewish medical student in berlin in 1933, recalls the book burning rallies.
The only writer to attend the berlin book burning was erich kastner, who looked on as his books were cast into the flames. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin bookburning on may 10, 1933. A crowd of 40,000 people watch ungerman books, by authors not considered to conform to nazi ideaology, being burned in the opernplatz, berlin, 10th may 1933. In 1817, german student associations burschenschaften chose. But the unique symbolism of bookburning has a long and sinister history. Over a hundred years earlier, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had stated, where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. University students in towns throughout germany burned tens of thousands of ungerman books as part of the nazi push for state censorship and control of culture. Hitler burned books to remove the jewish influence from german culture during world war ii. While the european kings and priests were busy burning, over in the new world of 1650, the puritan general court in massachusetts confiscated and condemned a religious pamphlet by william pynchon and it was burned in the boston marketplace in what was probably the first american bookburning.
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. Lgbtq institute in germany was burned down by nazis teen. May 10, 1933 german students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings. In 1817, german student associations burschenschaften chose the 300th anniversary of luthers 95 theses to. Student burned books which showed a different opinion than the one from the nazis.
The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. The day did not go completely unnoticed here in munich today. Lgbtq institute in germany was burned down by nazis teen vogue. May 10, 1933 marks the date of the infamous book burnings across germany. The speech and book burning were accompanied by the singing of nazi songs and anthems. Commemorative plaque in romerberg, frankfurt am main, hesse, germany, to remember book burning by nazi supporters on 10 may 1933. A bonfire burns as hitler youth members walk past carrying nazi flags. The nazi war on books means the whole of the worlds pacifist and socialist literature being banned in germany. They believe that the book burning would keep the german literature and language from external influences. Book burning in berlin facing history and ourselves. In february 1933, just a few days after hitler gained the position of chancellor, the government enacted the law for the protection of the german people, allowing for confiscation of such writings. May 10, 1933, a public burning of books in berlin, germany. A passerby walks over the memorial commemorating the nazi book burning in berlin, germany, january 2011.
On april 6th, 1933, the main office for press and propaganda of the german student association proclaimed a nationwide action against the ungerman spirit, which was to climax in a literary purge or cleansing sauberung by fire. The fanatical students had signalled the book burnings in an article published in bonn on may 8, 1933 in which they declared their aim. Reports range from an estimate of hundreds to tens of thousands of books burned. In may and june 1933, a number of book burnings took place in germany, organised by the german student union. These book burnings marked the beginning of a period of extensive censorship and control of. 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. Some of germany s most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. Students preempt nazis, burn books in germany jewish. In 1933, the authorities for germany began striving for synchronizing cultural and professional organizations with nazi ideology holocaust memorial museum. A member of the sa throws confiscated books into the bonfire during the public burning of ungerman books on the opernplatz in berlin, may 10, 1933. By 1933, many of the persecuted authors had already left germany. A ritual public burning of noxious jewish writings was held opposite the university of berlin on may 10, 1933. When i got home that evening, i heard on the radio that 20,000 books were burned in berlin alone.
Provides the text of the twelve theses against the ungerman spirit, written by the leadership of the deutsche studentenschaft german students corporation and read at many of the 1933 burnings. Some of germanys most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too. The burning was organised by the german student association and the crowd was addressed by. On 10 may 1933, a large book burning took place on this square.
On may 10, 1933 there occurred across germany a mass destruction of some of germany s most valuable creative works. 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. 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. 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. Sep 20, 2017 an institute and library in germany named institut fur sexualwissenschaft was burned down by nazis, destroying vital info on the lgbtq community compiled by dr. The aim was to ceremonially burn books that were considered to be ungerman. Book burning is the ceremonial destruction of books or any other written works by fire. The city of munich staged a small event titled reading against forgetting.
Keen on nazi ideals, the young leapt to the mission of cleansing germany of. Media in category book burning in nazi germany the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. Joseph goebbels speaks to the gathered young people. Over 25,000 books were burned in germany on may 10, 1933. This time, however, the critics were in nazi germany, and instead of simply disagreeing with her, they added her collection of essays, how i became a socialist, to a list of degenerate books to be burned on may 10, 1933. National archives return to the history place world war ii timeline. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 university towns across germany burned over 25,000 books. The main book burning took place at berlins opera square, known today as bebel square, on the evening of may 10, 1933. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience official. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. More night time shots people throw books onto the burning bonfire. This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany. Describe the scene of the 1933 book burning in nazi germany. A collection of essays and documents about the 1933 book burnings and their cultural impact on germany.
Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. Twenty years later she found a different set of readers treating her ideas with contempt. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. About ten percent of germanys university teaching force was sacked in 193334, with devastating results for disciplines such as quantum physics and mathematics where jews had been prominent. 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. The may 1933 book burning in nazi germany had a precedent in nineteenth century germany. He criticises the jewish intellectuals and talks about the symbolism of the burning of the books.
The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the. On may 10, 1933, university students burn upwards of 25,000 ungerman books in. Book burning in berlin, germany, may 10, 1933 the holocaust. Nazi book burning project gutenberg selfpublishing. Hans kilson, a jewish medical student in berlin in 1933, recalls the bookburning rallies. Book burnings in opernplatz, berlin one of the first targets of adolf hitler and his nazi organization were books. Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of national archives and records administration, college park, md. May, 20 on may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. The worlds premier physicist, albert einstein, settled in the united states along with many other intellectual refugees from hitlers germany.
On the night of 10 may 1933, a crowd of some 40,000 people. In 1933, university students were on a mission to cleanse germany of jewish intellectual ideas fishburn, 2007. While the bookburnings of 1933 were largely independently led by fascist students, presaging the mass violence, real and symbolic that was. It consists of a bronze plaque and 50 bronze books in the pavement in front of the altes rathaus. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and. Nazi party leaders and student groups from various universities gathered to burn books which they considered to be ungerman in spirit. About 10 percent of the books in public collections in germany were. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin book burning on may 10, 1933. Unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. The purpose of the nazi book burning was to destroy all ideologies that were considered to be ungerman. Sep 10, 2010 while the book burnings of 1933 were largely independently led by fascist students, presaging the mass violence, real and symbolic that was then starting to take over germany, they were actively. 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. Provides the text of the twelve theses against the ungerman spirit, written by the leadership of the deutsche studentenschaft german students.
The burning was organised by the german student association and the crowd was addressed by nazi propaganda minister joseph goebbels. Aryanization of germany in 1933 and mass book burning. Several people read excerpts from book which were destroyed by the nazis on that fateful day. Apr, 2014 unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the nazis ideology campaigns.