May 10, 1933 – Joseph Goebbles’ Diary
Tonight the era of Jewish intellectualism was committed to flames
guaranteeing the brilliant youth of Germany will not be molded by books,
but through man’s character.
From the wreckage of subversive literature,
the phoenix of a new spirit will triumphantly rise.
Now our youth can face the pitiless glare and regain respect for death.
May 10, 1933 Erich Kästner’s Diary
Tonight I witnessed members of the National Socialist Agenda
burn ten copies of “Emil und die Detektive”.
I was pleased to find my books in good company – burning beside
missives written by Hellen Keller, Ernest Hemingway, and H.G. Wells.
(A bit of background: Erich Kästner was a German satirist, poet and novelist whose military experiences made him a pacifist after World War I. He was present when his book “Emil und Die Detektive” was burned at one of the Nazi book burnings. In spite of pressure from the Nazis, Kästner refused membership in the Reich Chamber of Literature, controlled by Goebbels’s propaganda ministry. Unlike several other intellectuals and writers who suffered from Nazi policy, Kästner remained in Germany during Hitler’s rule.
I created Goebbles’ diary entry from a speech he gave to students in Berlin.)
Up From the Ashes 