Title: Memorial to Nazi Book Burning in Berlin
Description: The memorial was created by Micha Ullman to commemorate the Nazi-initiated book-burning event on May 10, 1933. The memorial is simple, a glass covered hole in the middle of a large plaza reveals four white, empty and seemingly endless bookshelves that descend to the center of the earth. Near the hole is a plaque with the words of Heinrich Heine:
Das war ein Vorspiel: nur wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen. [Where they burn books, they ultimately burn people]
Discussion: in recent years “progress” has trumped history. In 2010 the memorial was jeopardized by a plan for a parking garage to service the nearby opera house. The site remains contested to this day.
Donor: Christel Dillbohner, 1999
ICI Location: Photo Cabinet
ICI History: Image used for ICI exhibition Underhand in 2009 ; HOLES and HOLES (revisited) rhizome on the ICI Laboratory Blog (9/12 and 12/12)