alfred kantorowicz, the author of the 1944 article library of the burned books, was one of the key leaders instrumental in creating this library. in his article, he explains first-hand how the library came to be, and how it was finally destroyed. the library not only housed those books banned by the nazis, the more important mission was to be the “center of intellectual anti-nazi activities”. in addition, it had extensive archives “on the history of nazism and the anti-nazi fight in all its forms”. at the start of the war, the nazis were virtually in control in france so the french government closed down the library and anyone associated was imprisoned or sent to concentration camps. once the nazis occupied paris, the library and archives were turned over and that was the end of the library.