Banned, Persecuted, Remembered

When books were burned in Berlin on 10 May 1933, Erich Kästner stood in the crowd and watched as people threw stacks of his works into the fire. Children's books were also on the Nazis' ‘blacklist’ and were banned from libraries and bookshops, including all of Erich Kästner's books except for !Emil and the Detectives!. On that day, books were also burned on Königsplatz in Munich. Today, 10 May stands for the brutal persecution of Jewish and politically unpopular authors.

Following this day of remembrance, schoolchildren will explore the lives and works of some banned and persecuted authors, including Erich Kästner, Mascha Kaléko and Ruth Rewald, and work together to create a theatrical performance. Schools from Munich and the surrounding area are cordially invited to attend the performance. The visit can be combined with a tour of the exhibitions at the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism.

A cooperation between the International Youth Library Foundation and the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism.