The speech and book burning were accompanied by the singing of nazi songs and anthems. 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. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. On may 10, 1933 there occurred across germany a mass destruction of some of germanys most valuable creative works. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and.
During this book burning, several irreplaceable books were destroyed, including many written by sigmund freud, albert einstein and other scholars. Book burning in berlin, germany, may 10, 1933 at berlins opernplatz, crowds of german students and members of the sa gather for the burning of books deemed ungerman. The reichstag fire was a dramatic arson attack occurring on february 27, 1933, which burned the building that housed the reichstag german parliament in. The nazis did not burn books that is more fake history. Unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. In the middle of the square on 10 may 1933, nazi students burnt the works of hundreds of independent authors, journalists, philosophers and academics. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin book burning on may 10, 1933. These chilling words not only forecasted the events to come, but also went up in flames in germany during the nazi book burning. They believe that the book burning would keep the german literature and language from external influences. The burning of books a hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. Book burning online exhibit at the united states holocaust memorial museum web site words on fire, a site about u. The onetime bookburning that did take place in 1933 was done by university students, not the nsdap.
All across germany, with most being in towns housing universities, protests were held. This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany. Nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of antigerman literature in the opernplatz, berlin. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin bookburning on may 10, 1933. 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. Enthusiastic crowds witnessed the burning of books by brecht, einstein, freud, mann and remarque, among.
National archives return to the history place world war ii timeline. When books were burned in germany germany news and in. May 10, 1933, a public burning of books in berlin, germany. Book burning in berlin, germany, may 10, 1933 the holocaust. While the bookburnings of 1933 were largely independently led by fascist students, presaging the mass violence, real and symbolic that was. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. On the 10th of may 1933 the main event of an organized burning of books took place on the bebelplatz. 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.
Germany nordrheinwestfalen bonn on 10 may 1933, a large book burning took place on this square. Media in category book burning in nazi germany the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. May 10, 1933, in germany, the nazis stage massive public book burnings. The burning of the books in nazi germany, the american response. Compare the geman students of that time to the students in our american universities today and you will recognize they were much tamer, less violent and destructive in 1933 berlin than in 2017 washington dc, seattle or new york city. On 10 may 1933 thousands of books banned by germanys national socialist regime were tossed into flaming pyres. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum.
The square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth members walk past carrying nazi flags. The purpose of the nazi book burning was to destroy all ideologies that were considered to be ungerman. The day did not go completely unnoticed here in munich today. The bookburning campaign on april 8, 1933, the main office for press and propaganda of the german student union proclaimed a nationwide action against the ungerman spirit, which was to climax in a literary purge or cleansing sauberung by fire. In 1817, german student associations burschenschaften chose. By 1933, many of the persecuted authors had already left germany. May 10, 1933 students and storm troopers on the opera square. Many book burnings were held, but the book burning on may 10, 1933 was perhaps the most famous.
Joseph goebbels was appointed by adolf hitler as a. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience official. 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. That night, tens of thousands of copies of books deemed undesirable by the nazi regime were consigned to the flames. On the night of 10 may 1933, a crowd of some 40,000 people. Heinrich heine wrote, where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people holocaust history.
The largest recognized book burning demonstration took place on may 10, 1933. May 11 31, 1933 editorials, opeds, letters to the editor, and political cartoons reacting to the book burnings and nazi suppression of free speech, expression, and political opposition. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the book burning by the nazis people and writers will read from the books. May 10 17, 1933 news articles about the nazi book burnings may 11 31, 1933 editorials, opeds, letters to the editor, and political cartoons reacting to the book burnings and nazi suppression of free speech. Book burnings in opernplatz, berlin one of the first targets of adolf hitler and his nazi organization were books. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous book burning in history. Over 25,000 books were burned in germany on may 10, 1933. Group, assembling, horizontal, black and white, book. The assembly of the books had started on the sixth, when students dragged.
The name is variously translated as institute of sex research, institute of sexology, institute for sexology or institute for the science of sexuality. On 10 may 1933, a large book burning took place on this square. Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. Joseph goebbels was appointed by adolf hitler as a minister of public enlightenment and propaganda.
Several people read excerpts from book which were destroyed by the nazis on that fateful day. Censorship of newspapers, radio, cinema and the theatre was enforced. More night time shots people throw books onto the burning bonfire. Aryanization of germany in 1933 and mass book burning.
On may 10, 1933 there occurred across germany a mass destruction of some of germany s most valuable creative works. A painting of nazi book burning in berlin 1933 any media that conveyed antinazi ideas or even other ways of life, was censored. Aug 06, 2019 on the 10th of may 1933 the main event of an organized burning of books took place on the bebelplatz. May 05, 2003 book burning online exhibit at the united states holocaust memorial museum web site words on fire, a site about u. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal. In 1933, the authorities for germany began striving for synchronizing cultural and professional organizations with nazi ideology holocaust memorial museum. Not only were these demonstrations of antisemitism, but their contempt for ideas appealed broadly to the nazi philosophy of blood and soil, a. These were planned as celebrations featuring the reading of. Throughout germany on may 10, 1933, thousands of people came out to witness these horrid events. Over a hundred years earlier, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had stated, where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. Nazi party leaders and student groups from various universities gathered to burn books which they considered to be ungerman in spirit. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist. 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 of germanys most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. 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. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the. Not only in berlin, but also in many other german towns hordes of national socialist students. 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.
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. April 1933 news articles, editorials, opeds, letters to the editor and political cartoons regarding the german student associations call for action against the ungerman spirit. On may 10, 1933, university students burn upwards of 25,000 ungerman. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda. Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of national archives and records administration, college park, md. 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. A ritual public burning of noxious jewish writings was held opposite the university of berlin on may 10, 1933. The may 1933 book burning in nazi germany had a precedent in nineteenth century germany. The largest of the 34 bookburning rallies, held in berlin, medoff notes, was attended by an estimated 40,000 people. Pictures of nazis burning books beginning on may 10, nazidominated student groups carried out public burnings of books they claimed were ungerman. May 10 17, 1933 news articles about the nazi book burnings. May 10, 1933 marks the date of the infamous book burnings across germany. When i got home that evening, i heard on the radio that 20,000 books were burned in berlin alone. A hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared.
The may 1933 book burning in berlin is remembered by many as one of the key events of the early days of nazi germany. Describe the scene of the 1933 book burning in nazi germany. It is believed that as many as 25,000 volumes were eliminated via flame. The only writer to attend the berlin book burning was erich kastner, who looked on as his books were cast into the flames.
In 1933, university students were on a mission to cleanse germany of jewish intellectual ideas fishburn, 2007. But the unique symbolism of bookburning has a long and sinister history. The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german. Nazi book burning photo credit to wikipedia commons bundesarchiv bild 10214597, berlin, opernplatz, bucherverbrennung by bundesarchiv, bild 10214597 ccbysa. The city of munich staged a small event titled reading against forgetting. 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 burning in berlin facing history and ourselves.
In 1817, german student associations burschenschaften chose the 300th anniversary of luthers 95 theses to hold a festival at the wartburg, a castle in thuringia where luther had sought sanctuary after his excommunication. Students preempt nazis, burn books in germany jewish. Seventy five years ago, the nazis staged what is probably the most infamous of all book burnings. Student burned books which showed a different opinion than the one from the nazis. It is tempting to view the symbolic moment as foretelling of what was to follow during 12 years of nazi rule. On may 10, 1933, in university towns around germany, the crowning event of the monthlong, studentorganized action against the ungerman spirit campaign took place. It consists of a bronze plaque and 50 bronze books in the pavement in front of the altes rathaus.
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. Apr, 2014 unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. May 10, 1933 students and storm troopers on the opera square in berlin with books and writings deemed ungerman. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. The institute was a nonprofit foundation situated in tiergarten, berlin. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. May 10, 2016 on may 10, 1933, in university towns around germany, the crowning event of the monthlong, studentorganized action against the ungerman spirit campaign took place.