Bücher verbrennen, Bücher verbannen.

92 years ago, books were burning all over Germany or were removed from libraries and public institutions. Those who control the written word expect sole sovereignty of interpretation and an end to discourse. Censorship is a global problem and by no means only affects dictatorships and authoritarian regimes, as can be seen from the many banned children's books, novels and non-fiction books in the USA in recent years.

How do book bans and censorship affect freedom of expression and what consequences do they have for a society's understanding of democracy? How can we remain in contact with each other despite differing opinions without wanting to censor each other? These and other questions will be discussed by Tanja Graf (Literaturhaus München), Colette Schmidt (journalist Der Standard), Carola Lentz (former Goethe Institute) and Prof. Dr. Nikola Roßbach (University of Kassel).

The event is part of the "Freedom of Expression Week" initiated by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. Under the motto "Arguing? Absolutely!", numerous events and campaigns will be held throughout Germany from May 3 to 10, 2025 to shed light on the topic of freedom of expression.

Participation free of charge. No registration necessary.