Within 50 years, more than nine million copies of books had been printed, and book burning was no longer an effective thoughtcontrol measure. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist authors among others. In the 20th century, book burning is most closely associated with nazi germany, and for good reasonthe nazis wanted to be known for it. German names behind the name the meaning and history. Over 25,000 books were burned in germany on may 10, 1933. Curiously, the idea that the former would lead to the latter was famously predicted more than 100 years before the nazi takeover of germany by german author heinrich heine. 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. He thought the epic poem was dangerous because it expressed greek ideas of freedom. The burning of books a hundred years before the advent of hitler, the germanjewish poet, heinrich heine, had declared. Now german rather than latin bibles were published at such a low price that the masses could own and read one without priestly interpretation. The real history behind book burning and fahrenheit 451 nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of anti german literature in the opernplatz, berlin, in 1933. Some of germanys most valuable creative works went up in flames on may 10, 1933. Book burnings were regularly organised in nazi germany in the 1930s by stormtroopers so degenerate works could be destroyed, especially works which were written by jewish authors such as thomas mann, marcel proust and karl marx. Nazi book burning in berlin 1933 pictureallianceap photo.
The books to be burnt were chosen according to blacklists made by the librarian wolfgang herrmann, which were then used to plunder private bookshelves, public libraries and academic. The influential frankfurt book fair began in 1454, and the leipzig book. Recent historians of the book in germany include bernhard fabian and paul raabe. History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas. In april 1933, there was a oneday boycott of jewish stores in berlin for the same reason. Discusses the historical context of the book burnings in relation to the larger chain of events that lead to the. When books were burned in nazi germany scrapbookpages blog. Nazi propaganda and censorship the holocaust encyclopedia. With her books slated for the bonfires, helen keller confronted german students in an open letter. Where books are burned, they will, in the end burn people, too heinrich heine 17971856, german poet eric metaxas in chapter 10 of his celebrated book, bonhoeffer. The onetime book burning that did take place in 1933 was done by university students, not the nsdap. The drive behind such acts can either be political, cultural, or religious resistance to the material in question. 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. In 1933, university students were on a mission to cleanse germany.
Who were the initiators for the book burnings in germany. Timeline of events 19331938 united states holocaust. The first recorded statesponsored book burning was in china in 2 bc, according to matthew fishburn, the author of burning books. Book burning in nazi germany censorship in the humanities. 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. Germanic peoples occupied much of the presentday territory of germany in ancient times. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. The burning of books under the nazi regime on may 10, 1933, is perhaps the most famous book burning in history. Unused unissued material no paperwork dates unclear or unknown. For instance, writer oskar maria graf was shocked to see his name on the socalled.
Eighty years ago today, 40,000 people gathered in the opernplatz in berlin to witness one of the most famous book burnings in history. The nazis wanted the german universities to be centers of german nationalism. Joseph goebbels, took control of all forms of communication in germany. The germanic peoples are those who spoke one of the germanic languages, and they thus originated as a group with the socalled first sound shift grimms law, which turned a protoindoeuropean dialect into a new protogermanic language within the indoeuropean language family. Their orchestrated book burnings across germany would come to. The recent controversy over burning the koran in florida on the anniversary of the september 11 attacks on the united states made headlines worldwide.
Sadly it was university students, the german student union that led the book burnings to show their support of nazism it was the college students and teachers that led the movement of the book burning. Hitler burned books to remove the jewish influence from german culture during world war ii. 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. Enthusiastic crowds witnessed the burning of books by brecht, einstein, freud, mann and remarque, among. Nazi propaganda and censorship once they succeeded in ending democracy and turning germany into a oneparty dictatorship, the nazis orchestrated a massive propaganda campaign to win the loyalty and cooperation of germans. How nazis destroyed books in a quest to destroy european. The nazis destroyed tens of millions of books, especially ones on judaism, freemasonry and. German publishers issued around 61,000 book titles in 1990, and around 83,000 in 2000. Pastor, martyr, prophet, spy, in a subsection called where books are burned. 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 german student union with the support and encouragement of their professors organized the first book burnings in 1933.
Dort, wo man bucher verbrennt, verbrennt man am ende auch menschen. Book burnings in germany, 1933 american experience official. Nazis and students burn books on a huge bonfire of antigerman literature in the opernplatz, berlin, in 1933. 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. One of my wifes ancestors appeared in various us censuses with differing surnames. 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. Books by authors including heinrich mann, bertolt brecht and karl marx, as well as ernest hemingway, jack london and thomas mann were burnt at a nazi gathering on may 10th 1933 attended by joseph goebbels, according to the website of the holocaust. The burning of the books 10 may 1933 berlin, german. This is the best available book on german surnames that i know of.
Throughout history, says matt fishburn, author of burning books. If you are doing german genealogical research, it is a superb source. Over 65 years ago, the world watched as the german people under nazi rule burned thousands of books in massive bonfires fueled by copies of books from authors they deemed undesirable. Due to construction it is kind of hard to find but if you are into ww2 you should see the memorial. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin bookburning on may 10, 1933. Eightyfive years ago, fires fueled with literature labeled ungerman by the nazi regime. German names are used in germany and other german speaking areas such as austria and switzerland.
When the american military government opened its libraries in germany, austria, japan, korea, and trieste, its directive laid special emphasis on providing books by writers banned under the. Book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. 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. The first books burned were those of karl marx and karl kautsky. The burning of books and the burning of people are two of the actions for which nazi germany is most infamous.
This began in 1933, shortly after hitler seized power in germany. Book burnings in opernplatz, berlin one of the first targets of adolf hitler and his nazi organization were books. One of the most infamous book burnings in the 20th century occurred in frankfurt, germany on may 10th, 1933. Book burning is the ceremonial destruction of books or any other written works by fire. Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of national archives and records administration, college park, md. The books viewed as being subversive or representing the ideologies opposed to nazism were targeted for the nazi book burnings. Also among the authors whose books were burned that night was the great 19thcentury german poet heinrich heine, who barely a century earlier. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. In 1787, an attempt by the catholic authorities at mainz to introduce vernacular hymn books encountered strong resistance from conservative catholics, who refused to abandon the old latin books and who seized and burned copies of the new german language books. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the. It included books written by jewish, classical liberal, socialist, anarchist, religious, pacifist. Bebelplatz is the famous book burning site of nazi germany. During this book burning, several irreplaceable books were destroyed, including many written by sigmund freud, albert einstein and other scholars. Law for the prevention of offspring with hereditary diseases july 14, 1933.
I was hoping this book, germania, would be a good guide to to a broad spectrum of german history and an additional bonus, the book. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. I have seen similar sentiments in connection with amazons blacklisting of holocaust revisionist books, so i am setting the record straight. 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 hitler. Fahrenheit 451 movie and the true history of book burning. So many german surnames were americanized when german immigrants arrived in this country. Throughout history, governments have sought to maintain control of their populations by monitoring and censoring materials the leaders consider seditious, improper or revolutionary. An initial blacklist was drawn up by german librarian wolfgang herrmann.
This invitation to the book burning in munich outlines the order of events. But the unique symbolism of bookburning has a long and sinister history. Aharon, which is most likely of unknown egyptian origin. Media in category book burning in nazi germany the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. All ovids works were burned by savonarola in florence in 1497, and an english translation of ars amatoria was banned by u. He ordered leaders of the regime to confiscate and destroy any literature deemed subversive to the national socialist agenda. When books were burned in germany germany news and in. The nazis did not burn books that is more fake history. Explores the history of postemigration writings by antinazi writers who fled germany for the united states. Lists were made of books that were considered to be subversive to the. Matthew fishburn, author of burning books, argues that having your books.