Book Burning Memorial

These days burning books is synonymous with authoritarian regimes, and Nazis in particular. The reason for this was their fanatical drive to rid the country of non-Aryan knowledge. 

The first such event became the most memorable, and occurred on May 10, 1933, when all over the country coordinated campaigns were held by young party members who collected and ritualistically burned literature that was considered un-German by the new regime. This included works by Jewish writers, but also Marxist literature. 

The events were televised and broadcast on the radio and, at the time, were applauded as a step away from the depravity of the old Republic. These days the censorship is seen as a typical sign of authoritarianism and commemorated in the hopes that it never happens again. 

At the location of the burning is now an installation by Micha Ullman, which was unveiled on March 20th, 1995. It shows a sunken library with many bookshelves large enough to hold 20 thousand books. However, no books are to be seen. This eerie sight is visible through a window in the ground at the burning location.