For as long as books have existed, book burnings have been a brutal sign of sociopolitical power. In 1933, the National Socialist censorship and the banning of literature in Germany devolved into burning pyres under the slogan »Wider den undeutschen Geist!« [tr: Against the Un-German Spirit]. 2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the book burnings in Germany, and the anniversary was and is the occasion for numerous commemorative events. However, it does not remain a mere commemoration. Even today, censorship, publication bans or the removal of books from libraries and school lecture halls are a means of suppressing ideas that question the ruling system. As part of the special »1933–2023«, we reflect on the past and take a look at our society today – in which guests of the 23rd ilb also have to contend with censorship.

At the center of the special »1933–2023« is the discussion panel »Book Burning in 1933 – What Banning, Persecution, and Censorship Mean for Us Today« with Uwe Wittstock, Thomas Weber, and other guests. In addition, students from grades 5 to 12 from Berlin and Brandenburg schools will read excerpts from books that were burned in 1933 or banned from publication and distribution under the National Socialist regime. Among others, texts by Irmgard Keun, Bertha von Suttner, Egon Erwin Kisch, Else Ury, Mascha Kaléko, and Walther Rathenau will be read. These readings will kick off the opening event of the 23rd ilb as well as the opening event of the youth ilb program, where the Berlin and Brandenburg winners of the German Book Trade Reading Competition will read from banned books.