Bebelplatz berlin 2020 what to know before you go with. Berlin state opera house, old historic neoclassical building after reconstruction and st. Memorial of the book burning on bebelplatz berlin creme guides. Today a monument, designed by micha ullman in 1995, commemorates the event with a translucent panel showing empty bookshelves below ground level. You will also find a memorial for the nazi book burning that occurred here in 1933. Nishant totla october 11, 2016 dont miss the plaques and the burned books memorial.
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. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist german student association, thus stealing a march on the national socialist german students league. The most unusual monument i have ever seen is the book burning memorial, called empty bookshelves. A beautiful square with historic buildings all around and a sad history this was where the nazis burned books they deemed inappropriate. Book your tickets online for book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin. Controversially, an underground car park was built under bebelplatz in 2004 but the monument was spared, and today you dont get anything of the.
Plaque at the nazi book burning memorial on bebelplatz in berlin, germany. A glass plate, set into the cobblestones of the square, allows passersby to peer into a sunken library. Bebelplatz berlin 2020 all you need to know before you. The bebelplatz memorial was inaugurated in 1995, and it is the work of israeli artist micha ullman. 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. Few places in berlin can rival the fascinating and disturbing history of bebelplatz. The bebel place bebelplatz, berlin, best known by its book burning. Controversially, an underground car park was built under bebelplatz in 2004 but the monument was spared, and today you dont get anything of the car park that would distract from the monument. 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. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial.
It was the site of the notorious nazi book burning in 1933. Students were whipped up into a frenzy and burned books from the university library which they deemed unsuitable. The site of the famous nazi book burning campaign of 1933 remembers its night of shame. 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. The memorial is a subtarrenean room visible through a glass pane in the ground. On this fullday tour from berlin, youll listen to a hi. But there is one that touches me every time i see it the memorial for the book burning on bebelplatz. Also known as book burning square, bebelplabtz is a square outside humboldt university and was one of the sights of the infamous nazi book burnings that took place around germany. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund.
Pages in category bebelplatz berlinmitte this category contains only the following page. The play was written in 1817, one hundred years before the book burning in bebelplatz. Bebelplatz is infamously known as the site of the largest attempt to erase history and knowledge in the 20th century. We went as part of alla tours all day tour of berlin from our cruise ships one. Information portal to european sites of remembrance. The room houses empty shelves that symbolize the books that were burned. Around 20,000 books that were seen as subversive to the nazi regime were burnt here and are commemorated with a creative memorial installation. Home locations wartimeni travels berlin 2017 bebelplatz book burning memorial, berlin, germany.
Memorial to the burning of the books which was undertaken in wwii. Home to humboldt university, the state opera, and st. If this is supposed to be an empty bookcase maybe it is related. The book burning memorial in berlin is located in bebelplatz square. Social democratic party of germany fredric the ii forum fridericianum state opera house of berlin. It is the place where the destruction of everything that wasnt in line with. United states holocaust memorial museum recommended for you. Visit bebelplatz to see 18thcentury architecture in the staatsoper state opera, the alte bibliothek old library and the stately sankthedwigskathedral st. Bebelplatz book burning memorial, berlin, germany wartimeni. The memorial to the bookburning on berlins bebelplatz shows an empty, underground library. Empty bookshelves bookburning memorial walled in berlin. The initiative to erect a memorial to the book burnings came about in the berlin senate shortly after german reunification. The book burning memorial, berlin, bebelplatz memory walk, anne frank house im aware that book burning took place on this square.
A memorial to the nazi book burning by micha ullman set into the bebelplatz. Underground, almost out of sight, no books, empty white shelves, directly under the bebelplatz. Bebelplatz berlin all you need to know before you go. Heres why and other tips for visiting the bebelplatz book burning memorial. Book burnings the most infamous event to have occurred at bebelplatz was the 1933 nazi book burnings. Jul 14, 20 but there is one that touches me every time i see it the memorial for the book burning on bebelplatz. We recommend booking book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours ahead of time to secure your spot. It was some sort of the celebration in most of german, university towns, which was supported by a german student initiative. Renamed in 1947, bebelplatz was once known as opernplatz. Hedwigs cathedral and buildings of the humboldt university, is entitled. At midnight on 10 may 1933, german students supportive of hitlers ideas of purifying the german. Bebelplatz travel guidebook must visit attractions in berlin. Through a window set in the pavement, you can look below to a. The memorial on todays bebelplatz, located between the state opera, st.
It was some sort of the celebration in most of german, university towns. Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his bookburning memorial in berlin. Book burning memorial on bebelplatz wikimedia commons. 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. Since 1995, a underground memorial by micha ullmann has reminded visitors of the book burnings.
Nice square, we had a guide telling us about the history. Todays monument to the book burning on bebelplatz was inaugurated in 1995. In the evening of may 10, 1933 members of the sa, ss, nazi students and hitler youth gathered here on the instigation of propaganda minister joseph goebbels to burn books from the university library that they deemed unsuitable. Berlin is full of monuments, memorials and historical sites and it is nearly impossible to know all of them. Its bounded with the terrific humboldt university, the berlin opera and st.
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. The most unusual monument i have ever seen is the bookburning memorial, called empty bookshelves. The nazis did a gre st hedwigs cathedral, bebelplatz, berlin, germany, europe. What was lost and burnt were the books by those who the nazis ostracised and persecuted, who had to leave the country and whose stories were no longer allowed to be told. 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. A plaque next to todays memorial quotes the liberal german author heinrich heine whose books were amongst those burned who as early as 1820 said it. Bebelplatz is one of the most beautiful squares in berlin. The memorial also includes a plaque with a eerie quote from one of heinrich heines plays that says where they burn books, they will also burn people. 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.
Micha ullman allowed a small group of artists and one journalist to enter the subterranean monument and hear what inspired it. 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. Accompanied by the jubilations of countless german students and members of national socialist institutions the book burning took place right here on may 10th 1933. 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. Nearby is a plaque bearing the poet heinrich heines words from 1820 who attended humboldt university overlooking the square. Media in category book burning memorial on bebelplatz. On 10 may 1933 at an evening time the nazi party burnt books. Berlin bebelplatz and the location of book burnings youtube. The square is however best known for the infamous book burning in 1933. It is a glass plate set in paving stones, and below it there is an underground room. Bombing of dresden 45 and bebelplatz in berlin blogger. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism.
Bebelplatz travel guidebook must visit attractions in. The plaque has a quote from heinrich heines play almansor play, written. This is the memorial to the book burning of may 10, 1933, by brownshirts and the hitler youth. Book burning memorial at the bebelplatz former opernplatz in berlin, designed by micha ullman lesezeichen, book marks, commemorating the burning of the books on 10 may 1933 at the bonner marketplace.
Book burning refers to the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials. There was some musicians playing classical music when we visited in august 2019. Behind a glass plate in the middle of bebelplatz, a library with empty shelves is set into the ground. Book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin tripadvisor. 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.
First thing coming to people minds when mentioning this beautiful square is unfortunatelly books burning, performed by the nazis in 1933 all marxist, jews, communists and other inappropriate books, more than 20. It was sobering to see the book burning memorial there. Not all book burnings took place on 10 may as the german student union had planned. We recommend booking bebelplatz tours ahead of time to secure your spot. United states holocaust memorial museum 1,340,949 views. A connection which allows me to segue into my next memorial, in that same bebelplatz, a memorial to the campaign of book burnings, orchestrated by the german student union, which took place there and in 34 other german university towns in may.
Monument that remembers burns it of books of the library of the university of humboldt. Very touching memorial yo the book burning in the floor make. A glass plate, set into the cobblestones of the square, allows passersby to peer. Memorial of the book burning on bebelplatz berlin creme. Plaque at bebelplaz commemorating nazi book burning, 10 may 1933 platz am opernhaus, c. Located here is an eloquent memorial to the notorious nazi book burning that took place on the night of may 10, 1933. The bebelplatz is surrounded by beautiful buildings and very impressive but the memorial to the book burning is worthy of note. Bebelplatz book burning site dark tourism the guide to dark. 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. 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. Get the most out of your visit to sachsenhausen, one of the first concentration camps in germany, by touring with a guide. See all 22 book burning memorial at bebelplatz tours on tripadvisor. Efter initiativ fra joseph goebbels, hitlers propagandaminister, br.
Through a window set in the pavement, you can look below to a small library lined with empty bookshelves. Bebelplatz berlin 2020 all you need to know before you go. It was at the instigation of propaganda minister joseph. It was a top thing i wanted to see in berlin, but i almost missed it. May, 20 these book burnings marked the beginning of a period of.
Israeli sculptor gives rare tour of his book burning memorial in berlin. Pladsen er opkaldt efter august bebel, det tyske socialdemokratiske partis leder i 1800tallet. Nazi book burning united states holocaust memorial museum. Dec 05, 2008 book burning memorial at bebelplatz, berlin greetings booqclubers, i just wanted to share this with yall. A beautiful square with historic buildings all around and a sad history this was where the nazis burned books they deemed.