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 exhibtion

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.

On the occasion of the Book Fair, the exhibition was on display from 10 to 22 October 2032 at Frankfurt's Römerberg.

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.