Heinrich Heine

Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.
(Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen)

When books are burned in the end people will be burned too.

There are more fools in the world than there are people.

Be entirely tolerant or not at all; follow the good path or the evil one. To stand at the crossroads requires more strength than you possess.

The weather-cock on the church spire, though made of iron, would soon be broken by the storm-wind if it... did not understand the noble art of turning to every wind.

He only profits from praise who values criticism.

Dieu me pardonnera. C'est son m'etier
(God will forgive me. It's his profession)

Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.

One should forgive one's enemies, but not before they are hanged.

The music at a wedding procession always reminds me of the music of soldiers going into battle.

Sleep is lovely, death is better still, not to have been born is of course the miracle.

Oh, what lies there are in kisses!

I fell asleep reading a dull book and dreamed I kept on reading, so I awoke from sheer boredom.

Dieu me pardonnera. C'est son metier.
(God will forgive me. It's his job.)

The Romans would never have found time to conquer the world if they had been obliged first to learn Latin.

Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid.