In the year 1933, Nazi authorities worked to bring all professional and cultural groups into synchronization with Nazi ideology and policy. As part of this Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda, started an effort to push German art and culture in line with Nazi goals. Early steps in this were the elimination of cultural organizations that were Jewish in origin, politically suspect, or defined as "degenerate" by the Nazi authorities. Goebbels called on the National Socialist German Student's Association for assistance. The group consisted of many members of various Nazi ranks. They were ultra-nationalistic and antisemitic, as well as being highly vocal for decades after WWI.
Their efforts were guided toward a purge of un-German works, support of well known Nazi figures, and mobilization of university students wherever possible. On may 10th, 1933 they reached a new pinnacle in their efforts to purge that which was not German: In a symbolic act, university students burned at least 25,000 volumes that were considered "un-German". This one act pre-staged over a decade of censorship to come in Germany. That night students took to the streets in torchlight parades. Stolen and unwanted books joined the un-German ones in the bonfires. There were bands playing, it was a celebration. Goebbels spoke to the crowds,
"The era of extreme Jewish intellectualism is now at an end. The breakthrough of the German revolution has again cleared the way on the German path...The future German man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character. It is to this end that we want to educate you. As a young person, to already have the courage to face the pitiless glare, to overcome the fear of death, and to regain respect for death - this is the task of this young generation. And thus you do well in this midnight hour to commit to the flames the evil spirit of the past. This is a strong, great and symbolic deed - a deed which should document the following for the world to know - Here the intellectual foundation of the November Republic is sinking to the ground, but from this wreckage the phoenix of a new spirit will triumphantly rise."
By the next morning thousands of works of literature were destroyed. Further book burnings in other regions occurred on their "rain dates" due to weather. Blacklisted authors' works vanished from Germany. In 1946, when Nazi Germany had been defeated, the occupying forces held their own book and art destruction as part of the allied denazification. In that purge over 30,000 titles were confiscated.
On that day in 1933 the works of beloved German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine were destroyed. In his 1820-1821 play he spoke out on the burning of books.
“Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen"
"Where they burn books, they will also burn people."
-Professor Walter
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