A brief history of book burning, from the printing press. Beginning on may 10, 1933, nazidominated student groups carried out public burnings of books they claimed were ungerman. Goodell discussed the book burnings and the exhibit. The aim was to ceremonially burn books that were considered to be ungerman.
Some of germanys most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. The burning of books a hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. The nazis destroyed tens of millions of books, especially ones on judaism, freemasonry. Here in front of the opera house in berlin, a chanting crowd.
A brief history of book burning, from the printing press to internet archives as long as there have been books, people have burned thembut over the years, the motivation has changed. Books burn as goebbels speaks germany, may 10, 1933 youtube. The works of jewish authors like albert einstein and sigmund freud went up in flames alongside. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. The first books burned were those of karl marx and karl kautsky. In the 20th century, book burning is most closely associated with nazi germany, and for good reasonthe nazis wanted to be known for it. On may 10, 1933, university students in 34 university towns across germany burned over 25,000 books. 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. Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too.
American organizations like the american jewish congress knew of the planned. In 1817, german student associations burschenschaften chose. 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. In may and june 1933, a number of book burnings took place in germany, organised by the german student union. As part of an effort to align german arts and culture with nazi ideas gleichschaltung, university students in college towns across germany burned thousands of books they considered to be ungerman, heralding an era of state censorship and cultural control. Students were invited to throw their books onto the pyre. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. The books viewed as being subversive or representing the ideologies opposed to nazism were targeted for the nazi book burnings.
Nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of anti german literature in the opernplatz, berlin, in 1933. The book burning online exhibition early in april 1933, the german student associations main office for press and propaganda proclaimed a nationwide action. Nazi book burnings popular books burned by nazi during. 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. Reported as just like the ritual burning of books in nazi germany, a bookburning ceremony was held by students of the socially harmful cult universal medicine, an esoteric healing business which was owned by serge benhayon. Fahrenheit 451 movie and the true history of book burning time. A hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. The future german man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character. The may 1933 book burning in nazi germany had a precedent in nineteenth century germany. This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany.
Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience official. Many students participated in the burning of ungerman literature. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. The nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the german student union to ceremonially burn books in nazi germany and austria in the 1930s. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda. Holocaust memorial museum detailed the organized and systematic burning of books in nazi germany. 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. Book burnings in opernplatz, berlin one of the first targets of adolf hitler and his nazi organization were books. The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german. 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. Destroying ideas as early as two weeks before, american organizations like the american jewish. When books were burned in germany germany news and in. As part of an effort to align german arts and culture with nazi ideas gleichschaltung, university students in college towns across germany burned thousands of.
The nazi war on ungerman individual expression had begun. Lgbtq institute in germany was burned down by nazis teen. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the. Unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. When the hbo adaptation of ray bradburys fahrenheit 451 premieres on. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist authors among others.