Because of its location on Unter den Linden and the importance of the buildings which surround it, Bebelplatz is one of the most noteworthy tourist attractions in Berlin.
The square dates to about 1740, but it was named in 1947 after the joint founder of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), August Bebel. At first, it was to be the centre of the Forum Fridericianum planned by Knobelsdorff. This could not however be fully realized - only the opera house was constructed from 1741-43, which leads to the spot known as Opernplatz. Behind the Staatsoper, St. Hedwig's Cathedral can be found (built 1747-1773), while the western side is the site of the Königliche Bibliothek (Royal Library, 1775-80), known colloquially as the "Kommode" ("chest of drawers"); today, this building belongs to the Humboldt University and is attached to the Altes Palais (Old Palace, also now used by the Humboldt University).
On May 10, 1933, the square was the focal point for the "burning of the books" staged by the Nazis: the works of Heinrich and Thomas Mann, Erich Kästner, Stefan Zweig, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, Alfred Kerr, Kurt Tucholsky and countless other writers were thrown into the flames. Since 1995, this event has been commemorated by the monument designed by Micha Ullmann, which consists of an underground library with empty shelves and which can be seen through a transparent plastic window set into the ground.