History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Social & Cultural History

Nazi Book Theft: How Libraries Stole and Silenced History

Stefan Alker, Murray G. Hall, Markus Stumpf

This video explores the dark, untold story of libraries in Germany and Austria during the Nazi era. Based on a 2008 academic conference in Vienna, edited by Stefan Alker, Murray G. Hall, and Markus Stumpf, we reveal how major institutions like the Bavarian State Library and Berlin State Library were complicit in systematic book plundering. From Jewish private collections to political libraries, over 100,000 books were stolen, and many were never returned. Discover the shocking cases: the Thomas Mann family's lost books, the tragic fate of Professor Agathe Lasch, and the 'Sammlung Tanzenberg' scandal where stolen books were divided like loot. This isn't just about history—it's about the moral responsibility of libraries today. Watch to understand how ‘library archaeology’ uncovers hidden crimes and why provenance research matters.