This plaza sits between the Berlin State Opera House and the Law Library of Humboldt University. In…read morethe middle of the wide expanse of cobblestones is a window in the ground - a memorial to the May 10, 1993 book burning that Nazi's held to burn books they banned. These were books by authors they persecuted or topics they forbade Germans to learn about, including the works of hundreds of independent authors, journalists, philosophers and academics. About 20,000 books went up in flame. Nazis claimed that their actions were for the benefit of the people, preventing decadence and moral decay.
The quote from the plaque on the ground -
"That was but a prelude;
where they burn books,
they will ultimately burn people as well."
Heinrich Heine 1820
Below the glass window in the ground is a lit room, blank, its white shelves sit empty, a space for 20,000 books. The memorial was dedicated in March 1995, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn about this historic event in history. What a poignant reminder to question when government authorities seek to limit the access to education of varied perspectives, and undermine support of and turn public opinion against minorities and those of different backgrounds.
