There is a panel in the ground in the middle of the square, below which you can see the virtual empty library. Memorial about book burning during the nazi era, in a plaza surrounded by humboldt university. Bebelplatz is a city square at humbolt university in berlin germany. Hedwigs cathedral and buildings of the humboldt university, is entitled. As this quote eerily predicted, the mass murder of jews in the holocaust. The room houses empty shelves that symbolize the books that were burned. If this is supposed to be an empty bookcase maybe it is related.
Not only were books burned in berlin at bebelplatz, but this catastrophe spread to many universities. A view on cities berlin berlin pictures bibliothek book burning memorial loading. The memorial to the bookburning on berlins bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. This tour will definitely give you insightful information on how berlin built the 20th century history and how it turned from a symbol of division to one of unification. The initiative to erect a memorial to the book burnings came about in the berlin senate shortly after german reunification.
On may 10, 1933, national socialist students organised a ritual book burning on what is today bebelplatz in berlins mitte district. Since 2001 the international literature festival takes place every year in september in berlin. Germany berlin berlin in berlin the bebelplatz formerly known as the opernplatz is mainly knowm for the burning of book on 10 may 1933 by members of the s. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial. Book burning in berlin united states holocaust memorial. Behind a glass plate in the middle of bebelplatz, a library with empty. 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.
Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial in berlin. But there is one that touches me every time i see it the memorial for the book burning. The play was written in 1817, one hundred years before the book burning in. Memorial to the burning of the books which was undertaken in wwii. The school expanded its enrollment, however, with the construction of more modern research facilities and by incorporating several scientific disciplines into the areas. The square is however best known for the infamous book burning in 1933.
Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 from luci. The german resistance memorial centre in berlin my guide. The most notable of the burnings is berlin because according to the nazis, it was a success. Heres why and other tips for visiting the bebelplatz book burning memorial. Media in category book burning memorial on bebelplatz the following 23 files are in this category, out of 23 total. Based on the new york times story of may 11, 1933 on the berlin book burning.
The memorial also includes a plaque with a eerie quote from one of heinrich heines. The university is leading in research and teaching and has many regional and international partners. Berlin is full of monuments, memorials and historical sites and it is nearly impossible to know all of them. The public burning of ungerman books by members of the. Bebelplatz is a historic square surrounded by magnificent buildings such as st. 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.
The memorial on todays bebelplatz, located between the state opera, st. In 199495 a memorial called bibliothek library conceived by micha ullman was built within what is today called bebelplatz. On may 10, 1933, the nazis held a book burning ceremony, burning about 20,000 books. It is flanked on the east by the stately berlin state opera and on the west by humboldt university. The aim was to ceremonially burn books that were considered to be ungerman. Bebelplatz berlin 2020 all you need to know before you. Bebelplatz in berlin germany site of nazi book burning. Book burning memorial information portal to european sites of. Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to. The memorial is a subtarrenean room visible through a glass pane in the ground. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. It was a top thing i wanted to see in berlin, but i almost missed it. On may 10th, 1933, the national socialists nazis held their first book burning at this location.
An unusual monument in a square in berlin that was the site of the. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. On the same night, there were more book burnings, all of them taking place in university towns and cities. 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. 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. Micha ullman allowed a small group of artists and one journalist to enter the subterranean monument and hear what inspired it. We recommend booking book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours ahead of time to secure your spot.
Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too. Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 hd. More night time shots people throw books onto the burning bonfire. Book burning memorial in a berlin minute week 27 on vimeo. The memorial is an underground room full of empty shelves that can be viewed through a seethrough plate in the ground. 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 and university students on the opernplatz in berlin. Students contribute antigerman books to be destroyed at a berlin book burning on may 10, 1933. Heinrich heines quote about book burning eerily predicted. Among the many books that were torched were ones written by thomas mann, heinrich and karl marx.
Best of berlin berlin shore excursion europe cruise tours. The first semester at humboldt university, then called the university of berlin, found only 256 students enrolled. During the festival writers from all over the world are in berlin to present their work to lovers of literature. 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. Savigny hotel berlin louvre art gallery book burning painting books on the table, a lilac burning candle, glasses, paper, pen, box.
Includes a chapter examining the history of heinrich heines tragedy almansor, in which appears the prescient line. 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. Do you want to know the entry ticket price for memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning. Some fetes postponed but ungerman literature is consigned to the flames in.
Today a monument, designed by micha ullman in 1995, commemorates the event with a translucent panel showing empty bookshelves below ground level. Nearby is a plaque bearing the poet heinrich heines words from 1820 who attended humboldt university overlooking the square. Bibliothek book burning memorial, berlin bebelplatz. Apr, 2014 the square outside berlin university a bonfire burns as hitler youth members walk past carrying nazi flags. Provides a bibliography listing the works, including many library books, destroyed in the 1933 book burning at the technical university at braunschweig brunswick. Its my favourite memorial in berlin, its a very simple idea but very thought provoking with the presence of absence. The bebelplatz is known as the site of one of the infamous nazi book burning ceremonies held in the evening of 10. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. This memorial is an empty library with space for 20,000 books, the number burntin 1933. More than a century later in 1933, young nazi students in germany organized a nationwide book burning to eliminate foreign influence. And if berlins holocaust memorial is contradictory and difficult to understand this memorial.
There is a panel in the ground in the middle of the. It is a beautiful square where you find one of the third reich memorials. The bebelplatz is a public square in the central mitte district of berlin, the capital of germany. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning. 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. Our about berlin app presents the story behind the book burning and many other exciting stories about berlin s history. 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. In may and june 1933, a number of book burnings took place in germany, organised by the german student union. 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. Since 1995, a underground memorial by micha ullmann has reminded visitors of the book burnings.
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. A series of bombings that took place in february 1945 american and br. Hedwigs cathedral and buildings of the humboldt university, is entitled library. When you get closer, you see a glass plate set in the paving stones. It was the site of the notorious nazi book burning in 1933. About 20,000 books were burned, amongst others books of thomas mann, erich maria remarque, heinrich heine, karl marx and many other wellknown authors. Feb 24, 2014 book burning memorial, berlin heinrich heine. Book burning memorial, bebelplatz, berlin, germany in 1933, humbolt university students raidedtheir library and burnt works by authors deemed offensive to the nazi party. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and has been used by the both the german federal government and the state of berlin. In many other university towns, nationalist students marched in torch lit parades against the ungerman spirit. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The play was written in 1817, one hundred years before the book burning in bebelplatz.
Few places in berlin can rival the fascinating and disturbing history of bebelplatz. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his book burning memorial in berlin. Set in the university courtyard it is easy to miss but so evocative of the nazi mantra when seen. So i went back to the site the next time i was in berlin, in november 2011, and. 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 site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. Fair of old books facade and entrance of colonial era rebuilt jaffna public library landmark building for tamils jaffna sri lanka. The main fields of study at the time included law, medicine, theology, and philosophy. Book burning memorial, bebelplatz, berlin, germany flickr. This is also where the famous book burning took place and in the middle of the square. What most people dont realize is that the books that were burned in berlin were taken from the shelves of the library of humbolt university, across the street from the opernplatz, and burned by the students. Book burning in berlin united states holocaust memorial museum. 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. 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.
Memorial to may 10, 1933 nazi book burning, berlin. Berlin, germany the memorial to burning books bebelplatz memorial berlin memorial to burning books modern fireplace in sir f. Berlin book burnings berlin jenkins, jake libguides. 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. The book burning memorial in berlin is located in bebelplatz square. German students, nazis stage nationwide book burnings. 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. There was humboldt university, the oldest university in berlin and which has had famous professors, including einstein, karl marx, and the. Book burning refers to the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials.
Now every year, students at humboldt university sell books in the square to commemorate. The public burning of ungerman books by members of the sa. Book burning in berlin facing history and ourselves. See the memorial to the murdered jews, the site of hitlers former bunker, checkpoint charlie and much more. It focuses on the development of international prose and lyric poetry. See all 22 book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours on tripadvisor. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist. 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. In may 1933 students burnt the works of hundreds of authors on a square in berlin and throughout germany. Bombing of dresden 45 and bebelplatz in berlin blogger. Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to dark. 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. The mass book burnings marked a turning point in the nazis ideology campaigns.
The scripted rituals of this night called for high nazi officials, professors, rectors, and student leaders to address the participants and spectators. Related links bebelplatz article berlin homepage berlin pictures bibliothek book burning memorial. And they were largely organized by university students. Joseph goebbels, the prime minister of propoganda, gave his. Bebelplatz book burning memorial my travel details. Pause in the popular public squares of potsdamer platz, gendarmentmarkt and also bebelplatz with its book burning memorial, humboldt university and state opera house. Freie universitat berlin has been one of the german universities of excellence since 2007.
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. When you stroll across bebelplatz you often come across people staring at the same spot on the ground. Opernplatz was now to be known as the location of one of the most famous book burnings in history. Us holocaust memorial museum, courtesy of national archives and records administration, college park, md. At midnight on 10 may 1933, german students supportive of hitlers ideas of purifying the german. Book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin tripadvisor. Today the empty library, a memorial by micha ullman consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a.