FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Book Burning Party
Quiz about Book Burning Party

Book Burning Party! Trivia Quiz


"Where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people" is a quote from the German poet Heinrich Heine (1797-1859). Unsurprisingly, the Nazis burnt his books, too. This quiz is about some of history's most notorious book burnings.

A multiple-choice quiz by AlonsoKing. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. History Trivia
  6. »
  7. Specialized History

Author
AlonsoKing
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
347,440
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1981
Awards
Editor's Choice
Last 3 plays: Sofochka (6/10), Guest 77 (6/10), Guest 35 (5/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. At the council of Nicaea in 325 CE a branch of Christianity called Arianism was declared heretical and all copies of the Thalia, the teachings of its leader Arius, were burned. Who was the emperor who had convened the council of Nicaea? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What city housed the world's greatest library in antiquity until it was burnt down in 391 CE? This city also contained one of the ancient seven wonders of the world. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In 1209 pope Innocent III instigated a crusade against a Christian sect locally known as the Albigensians. After their supporters were crushed in a 20 year campaign the Inquisition was set up and Albigensians who refused to recant their beliefs were burnt, as well as many books with their teachings. What is the more commonly known name for Albigensians? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Who was the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish inquisition? In this position he condemned thousands of people to death at the stake and he also organised the burning of many Jewish religious books. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. After the Spanish conquest of Yucatan many Maya codices and idols were burnt on the orders of Diego de Landa. The extent of the destruction was so large that today only three Maya codices survive. One is in a museum in Madrid, another in Paris. The third can be found in a German city notorious for being bombed heavily by Allied forces in World War II. Which city is this? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In the beginning of World War I German soldiers looted and set fire to a Belgian city. About half of it was burnt down together with its university library. 250,000 books and irreplaceable medieval manuscripts went up in flames. Which Belgian city and its library was burnt down by the invading German army? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In 1933 German student organisations, supported by leading Nazis, organised a nationwide campaign of book-burnings. In 25 university towns piles of books considered 'un-German' were erected and burnt. These actions were condemned on a global scale and gained so much notoriety they found their way into popular culture. In which Indiana Jones movie does the leading character witness a Nazi book-burning? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In 1966 a period of civil unrest and violence started in China during which most of China's age old literature and calligraphy was destroyed. What is the name of this period of upheaval? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In 2011 a Florida pastor burnt a Quran after it had been found guilty of promoting violence in a 'trial' organised by his church. Who is this pastor, who shares his name with a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. If we may believe Ray Bradbury's novel published in 1953 book burnings will also be a thing of the future. In this book protagonist Montag is a fireman, which means he has to start fires in stead of putting them out. What is the name of this novel?

Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 26 2024 : Sofochka: 6/10
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 77: 6/10
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 35: 5/10
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 92: 10/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 134: 9/10
Mar 23 2024 : malama: 8/10
Mar 22 2024 : MrNobody97: 10/10
Mar 22 2024 : fatcat49: 4/10
Mar 21 2024 : matthewpokemon: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. At the council of Nicaea in 325 CE a branch of Christianity called Arianism was declared heretical and all copies of the Thalia, the teachings of its leader Arius, were burned. Who was the emperor who had convened the council of Nicaea?

Answer: Constantine I

In 325 CE Roman emperor Constantine I convened an ecumenical council to deal with a number of theological issues. The most important dispute was between Trinitarians and Arians and concerned the nature of 'God the Father' and 'the Son'. Arianism claimed that Jesus Christ the Son was created by God and is therefore distinct from God the Father, whereas Trinitarianism teaches that the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit coexist in unity. After two months of heated debate it was decided that God is one divine being consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The council of Nicaea proved to be pivotal for the direction Christianity would go the next centuries to come. Being declared heretical didn't immediately root out Arianism, and it continued to thrive for several centuries. Even two later Roman emperors were Arians. It wasn't until the 8th century that supporters of Arianism were crushed in a number of military and political confrontations.
2. What city housed the world's greatest library in antiquity until it was burnt down in 391 CE? This city also contained one of the ancient seven wonders of the world.

Answer: Alexandria

The great library was the most important library of the ancient world. It was founded by Ptolemy II Soter in 283 BCE, and enhanced and expanded by his successors. The library contained an estimated 700,000 volumes plus.

The library was (partially) burnt down several times. First in 48 BCE, during Julius Caesar's conquest of Alexandria and again by the end of the 3rd Century CE by emperor Aurelian. The final blow came in 391 CE. By then what was left of the library was moved to the Serapeum (temple). When all pagan religions were forbidden in 391 CE the Serapeum was burnt down during riots between Christians and pagans.

During its 700 years of operation Alexandria served as the cultural centre of the Hellenistic world. Today only a part of the catalogue remains, giving us a hint at what treasures humanity has lost. The ancient wonder of the world mentioned in the question is the great lighthouse (pharos) of Alexandria.
3. In 1209 pope Innocent III instigated a crusade against a Christian sect locally known as the Albigensians. After their supporters were crushed in a 20 year campaign the Inquisition was set up and Albigensians who refused to recant their beliefs were burnt, as well as many books with their teachings. What is the more commonly known name for Albigensians?

Answer: Cathars

Catharism is a branch of Christianity that originated in eastern Europe. It flourished the the Languedoc region (Southern France) from the 11th till 13th Century. The name 'Albigensians' is derived from the city of Albi. Cathars didn't recognize the authority of the French king, nor of the pope. This gave them support from local nobility who found in it justification for their independence from the king of France.

Already in 1147 the pope unsuccessfully tried to contain Cathar influence in the Languedoc region. When Innocent III was elected pope in 1198 he made it his goal to root out Catharism. After attempts at peaceful conversion had failed he launched a crusade against the Cathars by offering their lands to any nobleman willing to fight them.

In a series of bloody battles between 1209 and 1229 the Languedoc region was subdued and brought back under the authority of the Catholic Church and the king of France. The last remaining Cathars sought refuge in the hilltop fortress Montségur. After a nine month siege French troops took the fortress and burned 215 Cathars at the stake. According to legend three leading Cathars escaped the fortress via a secret passage and took with them a treasure containing relics and documents.
4. Who was the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish inquisition? In this position he condemned thousands of people to death at the stake and he also organised the burning of many Jewish religious books.

Answer: Tomas de Torquemada

Tomas de Torquemada was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1420 and was the nephew of a cardinal who encouraged him to enter the Dominican order. Because of his piety and austerity he was soon promoted to prior of the monastery of Santa Cruz in Segovia.

He met princess Isabella (later Isabella I of Spain), with whom he shared theological and ideological ideas. He later became her confessor and personal advisor, a position from which he gained much influence.

In 1478 the pope granted permission to Isabella and Ferdinand to install the inquisition in Spain. In 1482 de Torquemada was one of the four inquisitors appointed by the pope and one year later he became the grand inquisitor.

Till his death in 1498 he remained in power and built a network of 'Holy Offices'. He was obsessed with getting rid of all heresy in Spain. His main target were the Conversos (Jews that had converted to Christianity but were suspected of practising their old religion in secret). It is believed that under his direction 2,000 suspected non-believers were tortured and burned at the stake.

The three wrong answers are all Portuguese explorers.
5. After the Spanish conquest of Yucatan many Maya codices and idols were burnt on the orders of Diego de Landa. The extent of the destruction was so large that today only three Maya codices survive. One is in a museum in Madrid, another in Paris. The third can be found in a German city notorious for being bombed heavily by Allied forces in World War II. Which city is this?

Answer: Dresden

Diego de Landa was a Franciscan friar who arrived on the Yucatan peninsula in 1549. His orders were to convert the local population to the Christian faith, an order he tried to carry out most diligently. When he noticed that the Maya continued worshipping their idols after being converted, he ordered an inquisition in which a great number of Maya codices and idols were burnt (the numbers are disputed). De Landa didn't shy away from using excessive forms of torture when interrogating his victims.

Ironically, de Landa later wrote a book (Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan) containing a partial explanation of the written and spoken Maya language, which proved to be vital for modern scholars to decipher the Maya hieroglyphs. It also contains a description of Maya religion and Maya culture in general.

The Codex Dresdensis (Dresden codex) is held in the state library in Dresden, Germany. Dating from the 11th or 12th Century CE it is the oldest and most complete preserved written text from the pre-Columbian Americas. It consists of 39 sheets, written on both sides. It is unknown how it found its way to Europe.

Most of the codex has been decoded. It contains almanacs, astronomical tables and ritual schedules. It is most famous for a very accurate description of the movement of the planet Venus.
6. In the beginning of World War I German soldiers looted and set fire to a Belgian city. About half of it was burnt down together with its university library. 250,000 books and irreplaceable medieval manuscripts went up in flames. Which Belgian city and its library was burnt down by the invading German army?

Answer: Louvain

The Louvain university was founded in 1425 CE.

The Germans said the fire was a reprisal after the German army had come under gunfire from Belgian civilians, an excuse they had used before on a number of occasions.

After the war the library was rebuilt by American architect Whitney Warren. Its collection was restored by donations from all over the world. When WWII broke out the university was burnt down again, this time resulting in the loss of 900,000 books. After WWII the building was again rebuilt, in the same style it had been built after WWI.

Leiden is a university city in The Netherlands, Bologna in Italy and Heidelberg in Germany.
7. In 1933 German student organisations, supported by leading Nazis, organised a nationwide campaign of book-burnings. In 25 university towns piles of books considered 'un-German' were erected and burnt. These actions were condemned on a global scale and gained so much notoriety they found their way into popular culture. In which Indiana Jones movie does the leading character witness a Nazi book-burning?

Answer: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

In particular, Jewish, socialist and pacificist works were targeted, and books whose content was considered subversive by Nazi ideology.

Four days before the main book-burning in Berlin, macho Nazi students from the Berlin School for Physical Education had trashed the library of the Institute of Sexual Science, while a brass band played outside.

In 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' Adolf Hitler accidentally gets hold of Henry Jones's diary. Instead of throwing it on the bonfire Hitler signs the book and hands in back to Indy.
8. In 1966 a period of civil unrest and violence started in China during which most of China's age old literature and calligraphy was destroyed. What is the name of this period of upheaval?

Answer: The Cultural Revolution

In 1966 Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party, launched a campaign to eradicate all capitalist elements from Chinese society. During this period many people, especially within the Communist party, were branded as 'bourgeois' or 'intellectuals' and submitted to random violence, public humiliation or imprisonment. Some were even killed or driven to suicide.

After the 'Great Leap Forward' campaign, which had had disastrous effects on Chinese society, Mao had gradually lost power. The main underlying motive for the Cultural Revolution was an attempt by Mao and his henchmen to restore him at the centre of power, by purging senior officials. Young Chinese, who had grown up with the personality cult of Mao and revered him as a godlike figure, started to form groups of Red Guards all over China. Millions of people suffered under Red Guard mob rule.

Artefacts, ancient documents and literature and historical sites were seen as part of the 'old ways' and 'bourgeois' and were therefore a target for the Red Guards. A lot of China's thousands year old heritage was destroyed or smuggled abroad.

In 1969 Mao declared the end of Cultural Revolution but its consequences and political instability lingered on until his death in 1976.
9. In 2011 a Florida pastor burnt a Quran after it had been found guilty of promoting violence in a 'trial' organised by his church. Who is this pastor, who shares his name with a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus?

Answer: Terry Jones

Terry Jones is the pastor of a small Christian community called 'Dove World Outreach Centre', based in Gainsville, Florida. In 2010 he announced the burning of 200 Qurans to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. After international outrage erupted and pressure was put upon him the burning was cancelled.

In 2011 Jones organised a 'trial of the Quran' in his church, where the Quran was found 'guilty of crimes against humanity'. A Quran was then burnt in the church sanctuary. His actions were condemned on a global scale. Public condemnation by Afghan president Hamid Karzai led to violent protest in Afghanistan in which at least 12 people died.
10. If we may believe Ray Bradbury's novel published in 1953 book burnings will also be a thing of the future. In this book protagonist Montag is a fireman, which means he has to start fires in stead of putting them out. What is the name of this novel?

Answer: Fahrenheit 451

The novel describes a future society in which books are forbidden and firemen are supposed to burn them. Montag is a dedicated fireman at first but then comes to realise the value of books and eventually joins a group of intellectuals who memorize them.

The title is a reference to the temperature at which paper is supposed to ignite.

In 1966 a film adaptation of the novel was made, directed by François Truffaut.
Source: Author AlonsoKing

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us