Commemorative event: Harald Arnold reads against forgetting the book burning

Commemorative event: Harald Arnold reads against forgetting the book burning

On Friday, July 25, 2025, a very special reading will take place in the Fouqué Library in Brandenburg an der Havel. The author Harald Arnold will read from Oskar Maria Graf's autobiography "We are prisoners", which offers exciting insights into Graf's life from childhood to the end of the First World War and during the Munich Soviet Republic. This reading takes place as part of the commemoration of the book burning that took place on July 27, 1933 in Brandenburg and many other cities in Germany. The event starts at 4:00 p.m. and entry is free. If it rains, the reading will be held indoors. Further information is available by calling (03381) 58 42 03.

The book burning, which was part of the Nazi campaign “Against the Un-German Spirit,” began on May 10, 1933 in several German cities. Over 20,000 books were burned in Berlin alone, including works by well-known writers such as Bertolt Brecht and Erich Kästner. Oskar Maria Graf, whose works fell victim to these burnings, protested with his call “Burn me!” and criticized those in power at the time. During the time of National Socialist rule, many writers and artists were persecuted, arrested and had to go into exile. Graf himself said in an article that he was horrified that his books were not burned and demanded that they be handed over to the “pure flame of the funeral pyre.” These striking words reflect the resistance shown by many writers.

A historical review

Looking back at the dramatic course of the book burnings, it is important to understand their roots. These actions were not just senseless destruction, but also had a clear political background. After the National Socialists came to power on January 30, 1933, members of the German Student Union, supported by the SA and SS, organized this terrible scene. In front of thousands of people gathered at the Opera Square, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels appeared as the keynote speaker and created the appearance of national unity by eradicating supposedly “un-German” ideas.

In a literary context, Graf's appeal also provided support for other poets that should not be underestimated. His protest inspired Bertolt Brecht to write a poem about the horrific reality that one's own works should not be caught in the flames. Brecht, who was himself a victim of this censorship, recognized the absurd reality and published his thoughts on it. His words show how literature and resistance are strongly intertwined and how important it is to reflect on these topics today.

A sign of remembrance

The reading in the Fouqué Library is more than just a literary event; it is an honorable remembrance of the victims of the book burnings and a strong symbol against forgetting. Graf and numerous other writers stood for values ​​such as freedom and singularity and are therefore role models in the fight against oppression to this day.

Given today's developments in various parts of the world, where censorship and the banning of literature are back on the agenda, the act of remembering and communicating this history remains of great importance. The reading is an essential part of this commemoration and an invitation to everyone interested in the power of literature and its protective values.