Book burning memorial at Bebelplatz

This memorial on Bebelplatz marks the book burning through a window set into the pavement that looks down into an underground room. The white chamber below displays empty shelves along all walls and reaches about 5 meters deep.

On May 10, 1933, students and professors burned more than 20000 books by Jewish, communist, and liberal authors here. Artist Micha Ullman created the underground installation in 1995 as a permanent reminder.

Visitors can look through the glass plate into an empty underground library that holds space for exactly the number of books destroyed that night. Bronze plaques nearby carry Heine's words from 1820, written more than a century before the event they foretold.

The memorial is accessible at any time and sits between the State Opera, St. Hedwig Cathedral, and the Humboldt University law building. During rain or snow, the glass plate may fog or become covered, making it harder to see inside.

Writer Erich Kästner stood unrecognized in the crowd and watched as his own book Fabian burned in the flames. The rain was so heavy that firefighters had to pour petrol to keep the fire going.

Location: Bezirk Mitte von Berlin

Inception: 1995

Creator: Micha Ullman

Official opening: May 20, 1995

Height: 5.29 m

Length: 7.06 m

Width: 7.06 m

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Made from material: concrete, glass, plasterwork, wood, metal, color

GPS coordinates: 52.51652,13.39394

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:25