More than a century later in 1933, young nazi students in germany organized a nationwide book burning to eliminate foreign influence. Among the many books that were torched were ones written by thomas mann, heinrich and karl marx. Book burning refers to the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials. Media in category book burning memorial on bebelplatz the following 23 files are in this category, out of 23 total. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. During the festival writers from all over the world are in berlin to present their work to lovers of literature. Do you want to know the entry ticket price for memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning. 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. A view on cities berlin berlin pictures bibliothek book burning memorial loading. The bookburning memorial, empty bookshelves in berlin serves. Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 from luci. Pause in the popular public squares of potsdamer platz, gendarmentmarkt and also bebelplatz with its book burning memorial, humboldt university and state opera house. Feb 24, 2014 book burning memorial, berlin heinrich heine. And they were largely organized by university students.
This is also where the famous book burning took place and in the middle of the square. There is a panel in the ground in the middle of the square, below which you can see the virtual empty library. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning. Book burning in berlin united states holocaust memorial.
In many other university towns, nationalist students marched in torch lit parades against the ungerman spirit. Since 1995, a underground memorial by micha ullmann has reminded visitors of the book burnings. Apr, 2014 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. Nearby is a plaque bearing the poet heinrich heines words from 1820 who attended humboldt university overlooking the square. More night time shots people throw books onto the burning bonfire. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin book burning on may 10, 1933. On may 10th, 1933, the national socialists nazis held their first book burning at this location.
Not only were books burned in berlin at bebelplatz, but this catastrophe spread to many universities. On may 10, 1933, national socialist students organised a ritual book burning on what is today bebelplatz in berlins mitte district. When you get closer, you see a glass plate set in the paving stones. Set in the university courtyard it is easy to miss but so evocative of the nazi mantra when seen. 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. On the same night, there were more book burnings, all of them taking place in university towns and cities.
Related links bebelplatz article berlin homepage berlin pictures bibliothek book burning memorial. The memorial is a subtarrenean room visible through a glass pane in the ground. Some fetes postponed but ungerman literature is consigned to the flames in. Savigny hotel berlin louvre art gallery book burning painting books on the table, a lilac burning candle, glasses, paper, pen, box. Bebelplatz in berlin germany site of nazi book burning. On may 10, 1933, the nazis held a book burning ceremony, burning about 20,000 books. The bebelplatz is a public square in the central mitte district of berlin, the capital of germany. But there is one that touches me every time i see it the memorial for the book burning. In 199495 a memorial called bibliothek library conceived by micha ullman was built within what is today called bebelplatz. Compares the 1933 book burnings to other cases of book burning and censorship in german history. Best of berlin berlin shore excursion europe cruise tours.
Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial in berlin. 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. 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. Provides a bibliography listing the works, including many library books, destroyed in the 1933 book burning at the technical university at braunschweig brunswick. The public burning of ungerman books by members of the sa and university students on the opernplatz in berlin.
The memorial also includes a plaque with a eerie quote from one of heinrich heines. Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of national archives and records administration, college park, md. If you didnt know any better you would just be in awe of the square and the site of the university though this is actually a site of historical value. Bebelplatz, book burning memorial to commemorate the burning of books by the nazis on may 10, 1933, there is a memorial in place in bebelplatz. Berlin, germany the memorial to burning books bebelplatz memorial berlin memorial to burning books modern fireplace in sir f. The most notable of the burnings is berlin because according to the nazis, it was a success. Book burning memorial, bebelplatz, berlin, germany in 1933, humbolt university students raidedtheir library and burnt works by authors deemed offensive to the nazi party. The german resistance memorial centre in berlin my guide. Directions to the german resistance memorial centre housed in the former headquarters of the army high command, the building was heavily damaged by the fall of berlin in 1945. The books had been removed from the nearby university library, and many students. There is a panel in the ground in the middle of the.
The memorial on todays bebelplatz, located between the state opera, st. Berlin book burnings berlin jenkins, jake libguides. Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 on vimeo. It was the site of the notorious nazi book burning in 1933. The bebelplatz is known as the site of one of the infamous nazi book burning ceremonies held in the evening of 10. The memorial to the bookburning on berlins bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. The memorial is an underground room full of empty shelves that can be viewed through a seethrough plate in the ground. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. If this is supposed to be an empty bookcase maybe it is related.
Today a monument, designed by micha ullman in 1995, commemorates the event with a translucent panel showing empty bookshelves below ground level. Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too. Book burning memorial, bebelplatz, berlin, germany flickr. From magnificent opera, stunning architecture, a prestigious college and a unique memorial to a dreadful nazi book burning, learn more with free tours by foot. The scripted rituals of this night called for high nazi officials, professors, rectors, and student leaders to address the participants and spectators. Bebelplatz is a city square at humbolt university in berlin germany.
Includes a chapter examining the history of heinrich heines tragedy almansor, in which appears the prescient line. An unusual monument in a square in berlin that was the site of the. So i went back to the site the next time i was in berlin, in november 2011, and. 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.
Book burning in berlin united states holocaust memorial museum. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The square is however best known for the infamous book burning in 1933. Behind a glass plate in the middle of bebelplatz, a library with empty. The play was written in 1817, one hundred years before the book burning in. Memorial about book burning during the nazi era, in a plaza surrounded by humboldt university. A series of bombings that took place in february 1945 american and br.
The play was written in 1817, one hundred years before the book burning in bebelplatz. It was a top thing i wanted to see in berlin, but i almost missed it. And if berlins holocaust memorial is contradictory and difficult to understand this memorial. Based on the new york times story of may 11, 1933 on the berlin book burning. The room houses empty shelves that symbolize the books that were burned. Berlin is full of monuments, memorials and historical sites and it is nearly impossible to know all of them.
We recommend booking book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours ahead of time to secure your spot. 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. Bebelplatz travel guidebook must visit attractions in berlin. Micha ullman allowed a small group of artists and one journalist to enter the subterranean monument and hear what inspired it. Bebelplatz berlin 2020 all you need to know before you. Hedwigs cathedral and buildings of the humboldt university, is entitled library. Now every year, students at humboldt university sell books in the square to commemorate. The first semester at humboldt university, then called the university of berlin, found only 256 students enrolled. The university is leading in research and teaching and has many regional and international partners.
It is a beautiful square where you find one of the third reich memorials. The subterranean bookshelves could accommodate about 20,000 books and remind at the approximately 20,000 books, which the nazis burnt on may 10th, 1933 on this place. Heinrich heines quote about book burning eerily predicted. Its my favourite memorial in berlin, its a very simple idea but very thought provoking with the presence of absence. The book burning memorial, berlin, bebelplatz memory walk, anne frank house im aware that book burning took place on this square. The public burning of ungerman books by members of the sa. Joseph goebbels, the prime minister of propoganda, gave his. Since 2001 the international literature festival takes place every year in september in berlin. A plaque next to todays memorial quotes the liberal german. German students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings. Heres why and other tips for visiting the bebelplatz book burning memorial. Braunschweig is about two hours west of berlin, so trace and i organised to meet him in berlin, and then go for a wander through poland, austria, slovenia, and hungary. Today the empty library, a memorial by micha ullman consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a. Bebelplatz is one of the most famous squares in berlin owing to the fact that the nazi book burning took place here on the 10 may 1933.
Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 hd. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial in berlin micha ullman allowed a small group of artists and one journalist to enter the subterranean monument and. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. About 20,000 books were burned, amongst others books of thomas mann, erich maria remarque, heinrich heine, karl marx and many other wellknown authors. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. Memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning, berlin. There was humboldt university, the oldest university in berlin and which has had famous professors, including einstein, karl marx, and the. See the memorial to the murdered jews, the site of hitlers former bunker, checkpoint charlie and much more. Opernplatz was now to be known as the location of one of the most famous book burnings in history. Freie universitat berlin has been one of the german universities of excellence since 2007.
Book burning in berlin facing history and ourselves. In may 1933 students burnt the works of hundreds of authors on a square in berlin and throughout germany. An unusual monument in a square in berlin that was the site of the propagandistic burning of books by the nazis in 1933 an early symbolic act of the reign of terror that was taking hold and would result in the death of millions of people. See all 22 book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours on tripadvisor. Our about berlin app presents the story behind the book burning and many other exciting stories about berlin s history. The memorial to the book burning on berlin s bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. The initiative to erect a memorial to the book burnings came about in the berlin senate shortly after german reunification. The main fields of study at the time included law, medicine, theology, and philosophy. Bebelplatz is a historic square surrounded by magnificent buildings such as st. Bebelplatz book burning memorial my travel details. The public burning of ungerman books by members of the. When you stroll across bebelplatz you often come across people staring at the same spot on the ground.
The book burning memorial in berlin is located in bebelplatz square. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the nazis ideology campaigns. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and has been used by the both the german federal government and the state of berlin. Book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin tripadvisor. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist.
Usually carried out in a public context, the burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition to the materials in question. It is flanked on the east by the stately berlin state opera and on the west by humboldt university. This memorial is an empty library with space for 20,000 books, the number burntin 1933. It focuses on the development of international prose and lyric poetry. 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. Empty bookshelves bookburning memorial walled in berlin. 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 school expanded its enrollment, however, with the construction of more modern research facilities and by incorporating several scientific disciplines into the areas. In may and june 1933, a number of book burnings took place in germany, organised by the german student union. Fair of old books facade and entrance of colonial era rebuilt jaffna public library landmark building for tamils jaffna sri lanka. Memorial to the burning of the books which was undertaken in wwii. Bombing of dresden 45 and bebelplatz in berlin blogger. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his book burning memorial in berlin.
Bibliothek book burning memorial, berlin bebelplatz. Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to dark. Hedwigs cathedral and buildings of the humboldt university, is entitled. At midnight on 10 may 1933, german students supportive of hitlers ideas of purifying the german. There are also plaques in the four corners of the square with a quote by heinrich heine saying in german that was just a prelude, where you start by burning books, you will end by burning people.
1518 455 539 911 341 217 414 722 627 191 1285 1006 1279 288 645 680 1032 234 704 242 1077 254 1243 29 399 223 30 1417 482 316 1362 1228 451 449 430 1217 1010 345 38 1212 1307 256