Behind Patrick Stegemann and Sören Musyal there are math books, in front of them on the stairs that lead to the children’s department are their listeners: young people and adults. District central library Tempelhof, a dark late autumn evening, Stegemann and Musyal read from their book “The Right Mobilization: How Radical Net Activists Attack Democracy”. Then Stegemann says: “The destruction is a kind of confirmation of our work. If you disturb these people, that’s important for democracy. ”
There is no normal reading here. The book by Stegemann and Musyal is one of the titles that one or more perpetrators destroyed in August and September: pages cut up or torn out and filed in corners of the library. Titles that deal critically with right-wing social tendencies, left theories or the history of socialism. It is assumed that the perpetrator or perpetrators come from the Reich citizen or the right-wing extremist milieu.
Before the reading, Matthias Steuckardt, City Councilor for Culture in Tempelhof-Schöneberg, said: “This terrible incident resulted in a lot of positive things. The perpetrator wanted us to put such books back and hide them, but we will focus on them. “
This happens, among other things, with the reading series “Strong Pages” in the district library, with authors whose titles have been destroyed. On November 11th, the author Michael Kraske will read from “Tatworte”. His book “The Rift: How Radicalization in the East Destroys Our Coexistence” had also been tattered.
The destruction caused outrage nationwide
In a country where the Nazis burned books, book destruction is extremely symbolically charged. And so the incidents caused outrage nationwide. At the reading by Stegemann and Musyal, City Councilor Steuckardt Boryana Rickum sits next to the head of the libraries department in Tempelhof-Schöneberg. He says: “Many libraries in Germany have positioned themselves against the law after the incidents.”
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2,800 people read his Twitter message about the book destruction in August. The publishers whose titles have been destroyed will deliver additional copies, until now monetary donations have been received, BVV Tempelhof-Schöneberg has approved 2000 euros for “Strong Pages”. And then there is the story that was only told to Steuckardt, but which touched him very emotionally: a visitor who wanted to remain anonymous brought new copies of the titles that had been destroyed in the first incident, each book wrapped with bows.
The destroyed books are now in a showcase in the foyer
The literature on the critical examination of right-wing social tendencies, left theories or the history of socialism is now more at the center of the library than it used to be. To keep an eye on them, but also to be able to present them more prominently. “The demand for these titles,” says Steuckardt, “has increased enormously.” The destroyed books are now in a showcase in the foyer. “At least,” says Rickum, “this destruction was only found in our library.”
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The head of the department suggested to the network of public libraries in the districts that they, too, introduce a series of readings on “Right-wing extremism and populism, right-wing tendencies” followed by a discussion. “Regardless of our incidents.” He wants to focus more on the topic as a whole; it should not slowly disappear when the memory of the destruction in Tempelhof fades.
“Libraries have to position themselves clearly,” says Rickum. Of course they would have to be non-partisan. “But in this context we still have to take a clear position against right-wing tendencies.” Also among the audience at the reading are some who do that. One of the older women present says: “We are the grandmas against the law.”
