triptheca

Bebelplatz

Berlin

Photo Gallery

6 Photos

Bebelplatz - Featured Image
Berlin Bebelplatz
Berlin Bebelplatz
Berlin Bebelplatz
Berlin Bebelplatz
Berlin Bebelplatz

Click on any image to view in full size

About This Attraction

Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially known as Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, Germany. Following World War II, the square was renamed after August Bebel, a founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the 19th century.

The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, consisting of a green area to the east and an open area to the west of the State Opera building, which it surrounds. It is bounded to the east by the Prinzessinnenpalais, to the west by the Alte Bibliothek and the Old Palace, and to the southeast by St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the first Catholic church built in Prussia after the Reformation.

The city square was created as part of the Forum Fridericianum in 1740, commissioned by Frederick the Great. According to the plans of Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, a square in the rococo style was created, representing the Prussian ideals of education, the arts, and cultural enlightenment.

However, Bebelplatz is most infamously known as the site of one of the most notorious Nazi book burning ceremonies held in the evening of 10 May 1933. The book burnings were initiated and hosted by the nationalist German Student Association, with over 20,000 books burned by students and professors from the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (today Humboldt-Universität) under the musical accompaniment of SA- and SS-Kapellen.

Among the blacklisted authors were Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Heinrich and Klaus Mann, Rosa Luxemburg, August Bebel, Bertha von Suttner, Stefan Zweig, and Erich Kästner. Remarkably, Erich Kästner stood watching unrecognised as his book Fabian was consumed by the flames.

Today, the square serves as a powerful reminder of this dark chapter in history through The Empty Library memorial by Israeli installation artist Micha Ullman, unveiled on May 20, 1995. The memorial consists of a subterranean room lined with empty white bookshelves, beneath a glass plate in the pavement, approximating the volume of the 20,000 books burned on that site.

Interesting Facts

On 12 August 1910, the square was renamed Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Platz for Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria's 80th birthday, before being renamed Bebelplatz on 31 August 1947.
The Empty Library memorial is air-conditioned to prevent condensation on the glass pane and remains continuously lit, illuminating the square with eerie white light at night.
A line from Heinrich Heine's play Almansor (1821) is engraved on a plaque: "Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen" ("That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people").
The book burning at Bebelplatz partially inspired Ray Bradbury's American literary classic, Fahrenheit 451.

Visitor Information

Opening Hours

24/7 Open

Entrance Fee

Free

Recommended Duration

30 minutes

Best Time to Visit

Early Morning, Evening, Fall, Spring, Summer, Weekdays, Weekends

Address

Bebelplatz, Unter den Linden, Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Location & Map

Loading map...

Frequently Asked Questions

Bebelplatz is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, Germany, located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard. The square was created as part of the Forum Fridericianum in 1740, commissioned by Frederick the Great, but is most famous as the site of the Nazi book burning on May 10, 1933.
Bebelplatz is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard in Berlin's central Mitte district. It's surrounded by important buildings including the State Opera House, St. Hedwig's Cathedral, and the Old Library.
On the evening of 10 May 1933, Bebelplatz was the site of one of the most infamous Nazi book burning ceremonies. Over 20,000 books were burned by students and professors from the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (today Humboldt-Universität) under the musical accompaniment of SA- and SS-Kapellen. The books burned included works by Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Heinrich and Klaus Mann, and many other authors deemed "un-German" by the Nazis.
The Empty Library is a memorial by Israeli installation artist Micha Ullman, unveiled on May 20, 1995. It consists of a subterranean room lined with empty white bookshelves, beneath a glass plate in the pavement, approximating the volume of the 20,000 books burned on that site. The underground bookshelves have space for around 20,000 books, as a reminder of those that went up in flames.
Bebelplatz is surrounded by numerous historic buildings including the State Opera House (which originally gave the square its former name Opernplatz), St. Hedwig's Cathedral, the Old Library, and the Old Palace. It's bounded to the east by the Prinzessinnenpalais and to the west by the Alte Bibliothek.
Yes, Bebelplatz is a public square that's completely free to visit at any time. The Empty Library memorial can be viewed at no cost, and you can explore all the surrounding historic architecture freely.