ˈɛɹɪtʃ kˈɛstnɚ, hˌuːz bˈʊks wɜːɹ ˈɔːlsoʊ ɐmˌʌŋ ðoʊz bˈɜːnd, wʌz pɹˈɛzənt æt ðə sˈiːn ænd dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ɪt wɪð bˈɪɾɚɹ ˈaɪɹəni ɪn hɪz dˈaɪɚɹi.
Erich Kästner, whose books were also among those burned, was present at the scene and described it with bitter irony in his diary.