Today, May 10, marks the 87th anniversary of the so-called burning of Opernplatz. During that night in 1933, around 20,000 books were burned in the well-known square in an act organized by the National Socialist League of German Students, which brought together around 70,000 people. It was the first (and possibly the most remembered) in a series of burns that took place across the country, involving the plundering and destruction of collections from 21 German universities. Thus, National Socialism tried to eliminate those volumes that, in its opinion, endangered German values for years (these burns took place within the framework of the campaign “Aktion wide den undutschen Geist”, or Action against the anti-German Spirit).
Burning books was a practice extended from the beginning of its history by totalitarian regimes and governments, opposed to freedom of thought, critical development and intellectual progress.
But good ideas, thankfully, are stronger than paper.
Image: unknown author.