53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy
Timothy W. Ryback presents *53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy*, a historical account of how Adolf Hitler used Germany’s constitutional mechanisms to transform the Weimar Republic into an authoritarian state in less than eight weeks. The discussion will trace the decisive events following Hitler’s appointment as chancellor on January 30, 1933, including the suppression of civil liberties and the press, the takeover of the civil service and courts, the imprisonment or exile of political opponents, and the passage of the Enabling Act that granted Hitler dictatorial authority.
Ryback will discuss the book with Margaret Talbot. The event also considers the journalists and social democrats who tried to defend the republic, and the broader warning posed by a democracy that gives its enemies legal means to dismantle it.
When: Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Showtimes: The event begins at 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008.
Tickets: Free admission.
Seating: Seating is first come, first served.
Featured speaker: Timothy W. Ryback is director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague. His writing on the legacies of National Socialism has appeared in *The Atlantic*, *The New Yorker*, *The New York Times*, and *The Wall Street Journal*. His books about Hitler have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Conversation partner: Margaret Talbot has been a staff writer at *The New Yorker* since 2004 and previously served as a contributing writer for *The New York Times Magazine* and executive editor of *The New Republic*. She is the author of *The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father’s Twentieth Century* and, with David Talbot, *By the Light of Burning Dreams: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Second American Revolution*.
Book: *53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy* is available for preorder in hardcover for $27.00. The book is scheduled for publication on September 1, 2026.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests received up to the event time.