Remarque, Erich Maria | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)

On September 25, 1970, Erich Maria Remarque, German novelist and author of All Quiet on the Western Front, died at the age of 72. His books were among the first burned by the Nazis due to his anti-war themes. An excerpt from the article:

"His anti-war novel Im Westen nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front), first published in 1928, became an international success and provoked a controversial discussion on the representation and interpretation of World War I in Germany. The subsequent banning of the movie All Quiet on the Western Front (USA 1930), directed by Lewis Milestone (1895-1980) in December 1930 as a consequence of National Socialist protests forced Remarque to go into exile in Switzerland in 1931.

In May 1933 Remarque’s books were burnt by the National Socialists, and in 1938 he lost his German citizenship. Remarque remained in exile, living in Switzerland, France, and the U.S., where he became a U.S. citizen in 1947. He returned to Europe in 1948, and lived in Switzerland, New York and Italy until his death."