Freedom of opinion is a fundamental human right and one of the most valuable assets of liberal societies. As such, it is greatly feared by authoritarian systems. 90 years ago, the National Socialists burnt books at more than 160 sites throughout Germany in the hope of silencing opinions, world views and authors whom they considered undesirable. Even today, freedom of opinion cannot be taken for granted. There are many places in the world in which people are prevented from expressing their opinions freely, where they are imprisoned, expelled, their books censored and banned. As in earlier times, suppression has driven many of those affected into exile.

The exhibition

The exhibition “Burnt locations│Banned words” not only commemorates the Nazi book burnings of 1933 but also draws attention to the current plight of authors suffering repression and censorship in their home countries. The freedom to say, write, read and publish whatever we want is still under constant threat. This is invariably the result of a desire to control people's thoughts and actions, to legitimate and consolidate claims to power and interpretative sovereignty.

This is why we must constantly reiterate demands for freedom of opinion, stand up for it, fight for it. Every form of sabotage, restriction, censorship takes us a step closer to dictatorship. History has taught us this, and we are also seeing it in the present day.

The exhibition “Burnt locations│Banned words” is a joint project by Verbrannte Orte e.V. and the German National Library's German Exile Archive 1933–1945.

The exhibition on the forecourt of the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main was on display from 9 May to 5 July 2023.

“Verbannte Worte” (Banned words). Discussion and reading with Liao Yiwu

To mark the exhibition “Burnt locations | Banned words”, Liao Yiwu talked to Sylvia Asmus, Head of the German Exile Archive 1933–1945, about censorship and suppression of opinion in his home country and his life in exile in Germany.
Johannes Wördemann accompanied the discussion with readings from a selection of Liao Yiwu’s works. Liao Yiwu framed the event with flute and singing bowl.