When you stroll across bebelplatz you often come across people staring at the same spot on the ground. The memorial is a subtarrenean room visible through a glass pane in the ground. Bebelplatz in berlin germany site of nazi book burning. Pages in category bebelplatz berlin mitte this category contains only the following page. Visit bebelplatz on your trip to berlin or germany inspirock. Berlin is full of monuments, memorials and historical sites and it is nearly impossible to know all of them. It was renamed bebelplatz in 1947 after august bebel, the founder of spd, previously being named opernplatz, after the opera located on its eastern side. Berlin book burnings berlin jenkins, jake libguides. The memorial to the book burning on berlin s bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. The room houses empty shelves that symbolize the books that were burned. The book burning memorial, berlin, bebelplatz memory walk, anne frank house im aware that book burning took place on this square.
Students were whipped up into a frenzy and burned books from the university library which they deemed unsuitable. We went as part of alla tours all day tour of berlin from our cruise ships one. Bebelplatz, the site of the 1933 nazi book burning incident, has a glasscovered underground empty bookshelf sculpture in the center of the square to commemorate. When you enter bebelplatz, in addition to looking at the sides and to the sky for a closer look at the buildings, you must also look at the floor, as in the center of the square theres a large crystal with a floor under with some empty shelves. The date signifies a mass book burning on bebelplatz, formerly known as opernplatz, in berlin germany. Nice square, we had a guide telling us about the history. 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.
It was at the instigation of propaganda minister joseph. The most infamous event to have occurred at bebelplatz was the 1933 nazi book burnings. Hedwigs cathedral, it was also the scene of a memorable nazi event of 1933. This is the memorial to the book burning of may 10, 1933, by brownshirts and the hitler youth. Media in category bebelplatz berlin mitte the following 84 files are in this category, out of 84 total. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. Bebelplatz book burning memorial, berlin, germany wartimeni. Monument that remembers burns it of books of the library of the university of humboldt. It was sobering to see the book burning memorial there. On may 10, 1933, german students under the nazi regime burned tens of thousands of books nationwide. Today a monument, designed by micha ullman in 1995, commemorates the event with a translucent panel showing empty bookshelves below ground level. At midnight on 10 may 1933, german students supportive of hitlers ideas of purifying the german. 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. Bebelplatz berlin 2020 all you need to know before you.
Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to dark. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. Berlin bebelplatz and the location of book burnings youtube. Its bounded with the terrific humboldt university, the berlin opera and st.
On may 10th, 1933, the national socialists nazis held their first book burning at this location. The earliest recorded incident of bookburning in history appears, however, to be emperor qin shi huangs order in 2 bc that all books of philosophy and history from anywhere other than qin. Nearby is a plaque bearing the poet heinrich heines words from 1820 who attended humboldt university overlooking the square. Plaque at the nazi book burning memorial on bebelplatz in berlin, germany. The library memorial has commemorated the ominous event since 1995. The bebelplatz is a public square in the central mitte district of berlin, the capital of germany. Hedwigs cathedral the first catholic church to be built in postreformation. Bebelplatz is a city square at humbolt university in berlin germany. Bebelplatz is one of the most beautiful squares in berlin. Nazi book burnings 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. Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings. But there is one that touches me every time i see it the memorial for the book burning on bebelplatz. 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.
The tourists who gathered one rainy day in may around the empty library memorial in bebelplatz in the heart of berlin, paid no attention to the. Book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin tripadvisor. Bordered by the state opera, buildings of humboldt university, and st. If this is supposed to be an empty bookcase maybe it is related. This beautiful public square in the heart of mitte is home to the stunning buildings of the state opera house, humboldt. The square is however best known for the infamous book burning in 1933. Today a glass plate set into the bebelplatz, giving a view of empty bookcases, commemorates the book burning. 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. Head to bebelplatz in the central district to view the site of the infamous may 10, 1933, nazi book burnings, when more than 20,000 books were burned by the nationalist german student association. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist. 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.
Among the many books that were torched were ones written by thomas mann, heinrich and karl marx. Students from universities and the hitler youth see the hitler youth, gathered together to join in on the destruction of the unofficial blacklist of ideas, authors, and books more widely known in germany rose 12. Bebelplatz travel guidebook must visit attractions in. The humboldt university of berlin, book burning memorial at the bebelplatz and carried out by the german student union in 1933, berlin, germany, eu. 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. The bebelplatz formerly colloquially opernplatz is a public square in the central mitte district of berlin, the capital of germany. Nishant totla october 11, 2016 dont miss the plaques and the burned books memorial. There was some musicians playing classical music when we visited in august 2019.
It is also home of the state opera building and the oldest roman catholic church. Bebelplatz berlin all you need to know before you go. On may 10, 1933, national socialist students organised a ritual book burning on what is today bebelplatz in berlin s mitte district. The bebelplatz is surrounded by beautiful buildings and very impressive but the memorial to the book burning is worthy of note. Berlin, 1933, students during the book burning on opernplatz, bundesarchiv, bild 10214598, k. Home to humboldt university, the state opera, and st. Despite the claims here, the burnings were not a spontaneous act on the part of the german students association, the name taken by the nazi student group of the university of berlin but a carefully planned and orchestrated event carried out by the association and nazi private police. Bebelplatz is a historic square surrounded by magnificent buildings such as st. The memorial to the bookburning on berlins bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. Media in category book burning memorial on bebelplatz the following 23 files are in this category, out of 23 total.
Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to. Today at the bebelplatz memorial, there is a quote by heinrich heine, who was also on the book burning list. However, its a place remembered and infamous for a tragic event of nazis book burning which occured here in 1933, when. Pladsen er opkaldt efter august bebel, det tyske socialdemokratiske partis leder i 1800tallet. An unusual monument in a square in berlin that was the site of the propagandistic burning of books by the. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial in berlin.
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