From 1933 to 1945, under Nazism, the university lost many of its Jewish scholars and students. Some were killed. On May 10, 1933 many university books were burned. Before World War II Humboldt was still the major university in Berlin. After the war the university was greatly weakened. It reopened in January 1946. It was in the Soviet sector of Berlin. Many students and faculty wanted to continue their education free of communist government control. With the help of the US Army and donations from the United States government, the Free University of Berlin was established in 1948 in West Berlin. 