STOKING THE FIRE: THE BOOK BURNING OF 1933

Today in Berlin: May 10, 1933

On the 10th of May, 1933 students from 22 German university cities – students aggressively supporting Nazi politics in their country – organised the final stage of their campaign aimed at “cleansing” German libraries, bookshops and private bookshelves of what they defined as “un-German” and “deleterious” literature.

What they meant were books written by Jews, communists, social-democrats, pacifists, homosexuals, liberals and anyone who dared doubt the only “rightful” path as marked by the NSDAP. After setting up lists of selected titles and including the names of several dozens authors – both German and foreign – German Student Union named the date and the place for the public burning of now banned books in each of the 22 university cities.