Up in Flames: The Most Notorious Book Burnings in History

On March 20th Florida pastor Terry Jones made good on an earlier threat to publicly burn copies of the Koran, the sacred Islamic text, claiming it is "full of lies." Just as United States ' commanders had forwarned, this fueled a violent protest in Afghanistan , a nation which already harbors much disdain toward American sentiment. On April first, thousands of Muslims overran the United Nations compound, culminating in the deaths of at least 12 people, including 7 U.N. workers. Only days later, 8 more people were killed as hordes of protesters revolted in the streets in response to Jones' rhetoric.

Throughout history and around the world, burning has been a ceremonious and symbolic act of objection to religious or social ideals. During the revolutionary era of the 1960s, protesters burned draft cards in the streets to voice opposition to the Vietnam War, while anti-government demonstrators set fire to American flags. Even in the current age of Kindles and digital media, books like Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code, speculated to contain sacriligious overtones, have been burned in a display of mass censorship. The power of book burning lies not in the heat of the flames, but in what it symbolizes, the reducing of thoughts and ideas to ashes. This article will explore three of the most notorious book burnings in history and their consequences.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang, China . 246-210 B.C.

Most people have never heard of Qin Shi Huang, China 's first emperor, but the influence he had on Chinese society is still prevalent today. It was during his rule that construction began on the Great Wall of China in order to promote centralism and avoid foreign influence. After unifying China under one government, Qin Shi Huang became a reformist of politics, economy, and culture. Worried that his legacy might be lost, the emperor ordered all previously published books not of his dynasty to be burned. Scholars who secretly maintained possession of forbidden books were buried alive in a paranoid attempt to "erase" history and avoid any comparison to previous rulers. Qin Shi Huang knew that books were the link to his nation's heritage, and destroying them would strengthen his grasp of control. Classic works of poetry, history, and culture were lost during the first recorded book burning in history.

The Bonfire of the Vanities, Florence . 1498 A.D.

During the late 15th century, the Renaissance was a cultural movement which ushered in the dawn of modern history. Europeans experienced an artistic and intellectual rebirth, with a newly found focus on nature and the inner feelings of man. Books and artwork reflected less on religion as other dimensions of life were explored. Some, like Italian preacher Girolama Savonarola, grew increasingly concerned with the materialism he perceived. Convinced that the people of Italy were straying from God's path, he enlisted the aid of his followers and ordered a "bonfire of the vanities," a fire pit to burn all objects deemed immoral. Countless numbers of ancient books and works of art were destroyed in Savonarola's quest. While he succeeded in guiding some to a more spiritual way of life, his rebellion ultimately led to his downfall. After being tried for false claims and prophecy, he was sentenced to death, and ironically burned at the stake on the very square that he held his "bonfire of the vanities."

Nazi Book Burnings , Berlin . 1933 A.D.

When the Nazis took power in Germany during the 1930s, they began one of the largest propaganda campaigns in history, aimed at purifying the nation of anything "Un-German." One of their most grandiose demonstrations took place at the University of Humboldt in Berlin , 1933. Nazi officials urged thousands of students to help cleanse Germany by burning volumes of books that were not of German origin. Over 25,000 texts were reduced to ash, including the works of revolutionary thinkers like Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Franz Kafka. Head of Nazi propaganda Joseph Goebbels proclaimed that "from this wreckage, a new spirit will triumphantly rise." Sadly, Goebbels' prophecy was fulfilled, and the nazi book burnings marked the beginning of one of the darkest eras in human history.

Ray Bradbury's satirical work of science fiction, Fahreinheit 451, takes its name from the temperature at which books burn. Evidenced throughout history, however, it is more than pages of text that are lost in the flames; as the books burn a part of the human spirit is scorched. Rebecca Knuth, author of Burning Books and Leveling Libraries: Extreme Violence and Cultural Destruction, states that books are "highly symbolic...When you destroy a book you are destroying your enemy and your enemy's beliefs." From ancient Chinese dynasties to modern day churches in Florida , one thing is certain; where there's smoke from a burning book, there is indeed fire.

Sources: Ray Furlong, Events Mark Nazi Book Burning. BBC News
Daniel Schwartz, The Books Have Been Burning. CBC News.
Destroying Most Records of the Past. historyofinformation.com
Girolama Savonarola. New World Encyclopedia
Times Topics: Terry Jones. New York Times
The Burning of Books. historyplace.com