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(Photo provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

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The Nazi book burning took place in Germany in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power. The event involved the burning of books that were considered to be "un-German" or "anti-Nazi."

The book burning was initiated by the German Student Union, an organization of university and college students who were members of the Nazi Party. On May 10, 1933, they organized a massive bonfire in Berlin, to which they invited other students and members of the public.

The books that were burned included works by Jewish, liberal, socialist, and communist authors, as well as books by writers who were critical of the Nazi Party. The Nazis believed that these books were harmful to the German people and threatened their values. The event was also an attempt to erase Jewish culture, works, and literature.

The book burning was a symbolic act of censorship and an attempt to eliminate ideas that were considered to be subversive. It was part of a larger plan by the Nazis to control information and shape public opinion in Germany.

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Jewish culture has a rich and diverse history that extends long before the Nazi book burning in the 1930s. Throughout history, the Jewish people have been known for their significant contributions to the sciences and works of literature.

The Jewish people have always been known for their commitment to education and academia. The tradition of Torah study, which dates back thousands of years, has emphasized the importance of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking.

In the field of science, Jewish scholars have contributed to many areas of study, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, and astronomy. Jewish scientists and inventors have made groundbreaking discoveries and inventions that have had a major impact on the world, such as Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and Jonas Salk's development of the polio vaccine.

Furthermore, in the field of literature, Jewish writers have produced some of the most important works of the last few centuries. Jewish authors have made significant contributions to many different genres, including poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.

Despite facing persecution throughout history, Jewish people have always continued to make significant contributions to science and literature, demonstrating their resilience and intellectual prowess.

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Before the Holocaust Jewish people had their language of Yiddish, a combination of German and Hebrew, which created an abundance of books and shows.
Caps or hats and wigs or kerchiefs were traditional headwear for Jewish men and women respectively.
70% of Jews lived in populated cities with 100,000 people on average. Most Jewish people didn't attend synagogues yet they celebrated Jewish holidays.
Jewish Germans had difficulty with their identity, some identifying as Germans who were Jewish and others were Jewish who lived in Germany.

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(The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

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Note: The number of people there to witness the book burning is both tragic and horrifying.

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 (The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

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Books that were written by Jewish authors or presented anti-Nazi ideas were burned. Nazi Book Burning was also an attempt to eradicate Jewish literature, heritage, and culture.

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Jewish Children and Teenagers in Germany Before The Holocaust

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Jewish Children and Teenagers in Germany Before The Holocaust

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Life for Jewish children and teenagers in Germany before the Holocaust was quite similar to our lives. They attended public and Jewish schools, participated in public movements and always looked forward to summer break.

It is important to notice that Jewish children and teenagers were not different from kids of  other religions and races, it was Hitler and Nazism which wrongly changed others options about Jewish children and their people as a whole.

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Opening Hours:

Sunday to Thursday: ‬09:00-17:00

Fridays and Holiday eves: ‬09:00-14:00

Yad Vashem is closed on Saturdays and all Jewish Holidays.

Entrance to the Holocaust History Museum is not permitted for children under the age of 10. Babies in strollers or carriers will not be permitted to enter.

For more Visiting Information click here

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"What Came Before" - Teaching About Jewish Life Before the Holocaust

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IntroductionThe thriving life of European Jewry prior to World War II cannot be overlooked when embarking on a Holocaust curriculum.

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(The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

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Torahs were also burned by the Nazis in an attempt to eradicate Jewish culture and religion.

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Albert Einstein was a German-Jewish physicist who fled Germany in 1933, shortly after the Nazis came to power. The Nazis viewed Einstein as a symbol of "Jewish physics" and considered his theories, particularly his theory of relativity, to be part of a Jewish conspiracy to undermine German science and culture. Thus, Einstein's books were among those burned, and his theories were officially denounced as "Jewish physics" by the Nazis. However, Einstein's contributions were not stopped by the Nazis. His legacy remains secure for centuries to come.

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Keller was an outspoken advocate for socialism, women's rights, and the rights of people with disabilities, and her works promoted progressive values that were at odds with Nazi ideology. As a result, her books were banned in Nazi Germany and many were likely destroyed during the book burnings that took place in the 1930s. Despite the efforts of the Nazis to suppress her works, Keller's legacy as an advocate for social justice and human rights endures.

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Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a field of psychology that emphasizes the role of unconscious thoughts and feelings in shaping human behavior. He was also Jewish and lived in Vienna during the Nazi regime. The Nazis viewed psychoanalysis as a form of "Jewish science" that was at odds with their ideology and sought to suppress it. Freud's books, which were widely read and influential in Europe, were among those targeted for censorship and destruction by the Nazis. Despite the efforts of the Nazis to suppress psychoanalysis, Freud's ideas have had a profound and lasting impact on the fields of psychology and psychiatry. His discoveries continues to live on today.

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Zweig's books were seen as a threat to the Nazi regime's ideology and propaganda, which emphasized racial purity, nationalism, and anti-Semitism. Zweig's works, on the other hand, celebrated internationalism, cultural diversity, and humanism, and often depicted Jewish characters and themes. Zweig was forced to flee Austria in 1934 after the rise of the Nazi Party, and eventually committed suicide in 1942 in Brazil, where he had sought refuge.

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Max Brod was a Jewish journalist and author. Brod's books, which were critical of the Nazi regime and its ideology, were among those targeted for destruction. In addition to his political views, Brod's Jewish identity also made him a target of the Nazis. Brod managed to flee Prague in 1939, shortly before the Nazis occupied the city, but his books were seized and burned by the Nazis during their campaign to rid German-speaking countries of "undesirable" literature.

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“It is obvious that the war which Hitler and his accomplices waged was a war not only against Jewish men, women, and children, but also against Jewish religion, Jewish culture, Jewish tradition, therefore Jewish memory” (page viii).

The quote reflects the Nazi's attempt to eradicate Jewish religion, culture, tradition, and memory. One way they did so was through book burning.

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Each of these Jewish authors/scientists whose works were burned at the hands of the Nazis, reflects how far the Nazi regime extended. It is both incredible and shocking to see how each if these renowned Jewish scholars were all affected by the Holocaust. The Nazi Book Burning, which caused lifetimes of works to go up in flames, is one of the most tragic events of the modern-day world. However, it is clear that despite the Nazi attempt to destroy and eradicate Jewish culture, achievements, and literature, these authors' works and ideas were able to live on. Today, these famous Jewish authors and scientists are celebrated for their accomplishments and contributions.

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Franz Werfel was an Austrian, Jewish writer. His books were burned because they featured pacifism, love for all mankind, and hostility to extreme nationalism and Nazism. He also wrote books detailing the mass murder and expulsion of the Armenians in 1915, which stood as a warning against future acts of genocide.

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NEVER FORGET - How Books/Journals Continue to Tell Survivors Stories

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NEVER FORGET - How Books/Journals Continue to Tell Survivors Stories

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Elie Weisel very clearly outlined in his book, "Night", the importance of sharing others stories in hopes that history will not repeat itself. Many books and journals have been written by holocaust survivors and it is crucial that people continue to tell their stories.

Some famous Books and Journals are Listed:
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- In Her Father's Eyes: A Slovak Childhood in the Shadows of the Holocaust
- The Journal of Hélèn Berr - referred as to the "French Anne Frank".

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This powerful quote displayed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum goes hand in hand with a quote from Elie Wiesel's Night. "To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." The burning of knowledge is the erasing of history and life, as would the neglecting of the events of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel implores us to "bear witness" of the dead and living so we are not doomed to the repeat the same atrocities that extreme hatred led the Nazis to.

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“…I believe it important to emphasize how strongly I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny” (page XIV).

The quote could be interpreted that by wiping out Jewish books, the Nazis were also wiping out the Jewish people.

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Ray Bradbury uses inspiration from the Nazi Book Burning in his novel, Fahrenheit 451. The book points to the dangers of censorship and conformity.

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The legacy of Nazi book burning is a reminder of the dangers of censorship, propaganda, and the suppression of free expression. The Nazi regime sought to both eradicate Jewish history and shape cultural values to fit their own ideology through book burning. They saw books as a threat to their power and sought to eliminate anything that they deemed "un-German."

The book burnings were a clear example of the Nazis' suppression of intellectual freedom and their willingness to silence dissenting voices. The book burnings were also a precursor to the eventual Jewish genocide.

The legacy of Nazi book burning reminds us of the importance of protecting our intellectual freedom, promoting diversity, and upholding human rights. Today, efforts to ban or censor books and other forms of expression continue to threaten the values of democracy. It is our duty to maintain our freedoms and humanity by stopping censorship.

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"This is a strong, great and symbolic deed - a deed which should document the following for centuries to come for the whole world to see. This book burning is a symbol of the New Germany."

- Hans Kerrl, Nazi Minister for Church Affairs

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"The destruction of the Jewish intellectual and cultural heritage must be followed by the eradication of their biological roots. Only then will our people be truly free and secure."

- Julius Streicher, Nazi leader and editor of the anti-Semitic newspaper Der Stürmer.

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"The book burning was a barbaric act of cultural vandalism. It was a deliberate attempt to erase our history and silence our voices. But we will not be silenced. We will continue to fight for our rights and our freedom, no matter what the cost."

- Anna Seghers, Jewish author and activist.

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"The book burning was a terrifying spectacle. All of a sudden, the streets were filled with thousands of people carrying books to the pyre. Books were thrown onto the flames, and the crowd cheered as they burned. It was a symbol of the destruction of our culture and our way of life."

- Ruth Fischer, Jewish activist and former member of the German Communist Party

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"The era of extreme Jewish intellectualism has now ended, and the success of the German revolution has again given the German people their soul. The future German man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character."

- Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda

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"Albert Einstein Biography." The Biography.com Website, A&E; Television Networks, 3 Apr. 2021, www.biography.com/scientists/albert-einstein. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

"Book Burnings in Germany, 1933." American Experience, PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goebbels-burnings/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Max Brod." Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Max-Brod. Accessed 2 March 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Stefan Zweig." Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stefan-Zweig. Accessed 2 March 2023.

"Helen Keller." The Biography.com Website, A&E; Television Networks, 6 May 2021, www.biography.com/activists/helen-keller. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

Jay, Martin Evan. "Sigmund Freud." Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sigmund-Freud. Accessed 2 March 2023.

Stern, Guy. "The Burning of the Books in Nazi Germany, 1933: The American Response." Museum of Tolerance, www.museumoftolerance.com/education/archives-and-reference-library/online-resources/simon-wiesenthal-center-annual-volume-2/annual-2-chapter-5.html. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "Franz Werfel." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/franz-werfel. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

---. "Jewish Life in Europe before the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/jewish-life-in-europe-before-the-holocaust. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.

---. "1933 Book Burnings." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/1933-book-burnings. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.