Torchlight Procession Through Berlin Streets Precedes Book Burning

The most extensive preparations were being made throughout the Reich today for tonight’s funeral pyres of “un-German spirited” books, mostly by Jewish authors. Over twenty thousand volumes were collected in Berlin in specially mobilized motor cars and trucks, from private libraries and homes. For several hours preceding the bonfires, a torchlight procession was marching from the Oranienburgerstrasse in military formation to the Brandenburger Gate and along Unter den Linden to the Opera House Square, where the huge fire was to be lit.

Not all the books collected were to be burned, however, A large proportion of the seized volumes are to be sent to the paper mills to be reconverted into pulp. For this reason several paper mills provided the vehicles used in collecting the condemned books.