90 years ago, the National Socialists burned thousands of books by ostracised authors, including works by Carl von Ossietzky. A group of students is commemorating this dark event with various activities.
"Against insolence and arrogance, in favour of respect and reverence for the immortal German national spirit! Devour, flame, even the writings of Tucholsky and Ossietzky!" Accompanied by this and similar "fire slogans", students burned thousands of books in Berlin and 22 other German cities on 10 May 1933, mainly works by Jewish authors and politically ostracised writers. They also included writings by Carl von Ossietzky, who gave his name to the University of Oldenburg.
"Although the events of 10 May 1933 did not have a major political impact on the National Socialist regime, their significance for universities and culture should not be underestimated," explains Ingvar Lindqvist, who studies philosophy and history at the University of Oldenburg. With the seizure of power, a process began in the course of which freedom of thought was increasingly restricted. "With this symbolic day of book burning, the synchronisation process was also significantly accelerated in the academic field," he reports. The "purges" in libraries and bookshops - as part of the "Aktion wider den undeutschen Geist" ("Action against the un-German spirit") largely initiated by the German Student Union, the umbrella organisation of the General Student Committees at the time - were followed by dismissals at the universities. Jewish people in particular, as well as members of the Communist and Social Democratic parties, were expelled. Even civil servant professors had to fear being transferred or dismissed.
Plea for non-violent coexistence
Lindqvist is part of a group of twelve students of philosophy, history and art who want to commemorate the book burnings of 1933 in Oldenburg this year. The team is planning various events from 10 May, including a film screening at the university cinema Gegenlicht, a reading in co-operation with the State Theatre (Sparte 7) and several workshops at the Horst Janssen Museum. Book tables in several bookshops will draw attention to the writers whose works were destroyed. At events, visitors can enter their thoughts in "Memoria" - a large memorial book. "Our project is a plea for non-violent coexistence, for a culture of writing and for freedom of the mind," explains Lindqvist.
The impetus for her project "Wider-Worte" came from a seminar entitled "Art and Remembrance" by Prof Dr Susanne Möbuß, which focused, among other things, on how philosophy deals with the topic of remembrance culture. "The question arose as to why we only talk about it theoretically," reports Möbuß, a lecturer in the history of philosophy at the university. A group of students then spontaneously became enthusiastic about tackling the topic in a practical way and creating a piece of remembrance culture themselves.
Freedom of thought is still under threat in many places today
The choice fell on the burning of books "because the culture of writing and freedom of thought are still under threat in many places around the world today," says Möbuß. "The fact that our namesake was also affected at the time should make us sit up and take notice once again," says Lindqvist. Ossietzky, who was arrested by the National Socialists immediately after the Reichstag fire at the end of February 1933, was one of the first authors to be persecuted by the Nazi regime and died in 1938 as a result of his imprisonment in a concentration camp.
In Oldenburg, where there was still no university in 1933, no concerted action took place on 10 May. However, the Free State of Oldenburg was the first state in the German Reich to be ruled by a National Socialist state government with an absolute majority - as early as 1932. And this is not the only reason why the student group believes it is important to take a closer look at the event. "The book burning of 1933 still concerns us today, and the commemoration of these events must not just take place individually," emphasises Lindqvist. "We are therefore delighted that our project is not limited to the university, but that many Oldenburg institutions are taking part."
Susanne Möbuß is proud that her students have found the time to organise such a diverse project alongside their everyday university life - on their own initiative and without collecting credit points for their studies. She emphasises: "For the subject of philosophy, which many people associate primarily with thought experiments, this very practical commitment is remarkable!"
