“Book Skeleton” by Fatemeh Naderi and Florian Ziller

Since 2018, a commemorative monument refers to the burning of the books that happened on Residenzplatz Square in 1938.

Attention for a historic event

On April 30, 1938, around 1200 books by denounced authors were piled up and burned on the Residenzplatz in Salzburg. Staged by the Hitler Youth, the event was intended to capture the public’s attention and send a clear message, even announced and commentated on in the local press.

An international competition was initiated to find the perfect memorial, with the winning project officially unveiled in the commemorative year of 2018: “Book Skeleton” by Iranian Fatemeh Naderi and Hallein native Florian Ziller.

The artwork in detail

The black book sculpture made of metal is set against a white backdrop, just as pictures and texts would be found on paper. The actual framework of the book is intended to symbolize the burning, while the fact that it stands there as an “empty” book symbolizes all those works that had been burned. The book skeleton is illuminated around the clock, meaning that it is also clearly visible at night.