German shops ‘to sell Mein Kampf’: Country may be forced to allow Hitler’s …

Posted on by News4Me
  • Copyright of autobiography Mein Kampf passed to Bavaria after Hitler died
  • Ministers deciding whether to allowing ‘academic’ edition to be printed when rights expire next year
  • Bavaria says it will still be illegal to publish under banning of Nazi ideology

By
Allan Hall In Berlin


Published:
01:02 GMT, 26 June 2014

|
Updated:
09:54 GMT, 26 June 2014

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Bavaria blocked publication of Mein Kampf in Germany after Hitler's death after Hitler's death but the state's copyright expires next year

Bavaria blocked publication of Mein Kampf in Germany after Hitler’s
death but the state’s copyright expires next year

Germany may be forced to allow Hitler’s autobiography to be sold there for the first time since 1945.

Copyright of Mein Kampf, which means My Struggle, passed to the state of Bavaria after Hitler’s death.

It has blocked publication in Germany – although it is available online – but the rights expire next year, allowing anyone to print it.

Bavaria insists that would be illegal under German law banning the spreading of Nazi ideology.

Ministers are deciding whether to try to ban it or to allow it to go on sale, possibly in annotated ‘academic’ editions.

The turgid autobiography was filled with hatred againts Jews and his plans for eastern conquests and authorities are fearful of a spike in neo-Nazism if it goes on sale.

Dieter Graumann, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, is strongly opposed to it going on sale.

He told a news website: ‘The very thought of a new publication of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ is more than disgusting and goes against all my beliefs to fight neo-fascism and right-wing extremism.

‘This book was and will remain a pure anti-Semitic work of irrational hatred that should be forbidden for evermore. It is an abhorrent pamphlet full of incitement of the Jewish people and it brutally hurts the feelings of the Shoa-survivors.’

Bavaria insists that allowing anyone to publish the autobiography after the copyright expires would be illegal under German law banning the spreading of Nazi ideology - but ministers are deciding whether to allow it to be printed as 'academic' editions

Bavaria insists publishing the book would be illegal under German law banning the
spreading of Nazi ideology – but ministers are deciding whether to allow
it to be printed as ‘academic’ editions

The state’s justice minister Winfried Bausback said: ‘We owe it to the victims of the holocaust and their relatives to do everything we can to prevent the duplication and distribution of this ideological, inflammatory text.

‘I would prefer this book to be forbidden forever. Regrettably and obviously we cannot prevent a new publication, since the copyright is about to expire by the end of the year 2015.

‘So if a publication cannot be avoided, it should be at least guaranteed that there is a scholarly edition which provides a scientific and critical analysis in order to demystify this horrible text.’

An e-book version of the work, topped Amazon’s bestseller charts earlier this year.

 


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The comments below have not been moderated.

Chris,

Leeds UK, United Kingdom,

13 hours ago

Wanting to ban a book?, sounds farmiliar.

Fancynewname,

Brooklyn, United States,

18 hours ago

Its a piece of history, no matter good or bad…

Professor Mont,

whitton, United Kingdom,

19 hours ago

loved the chapter on rabbit stew

Danton,

London, United Kingdom,

23 hours ago

Have you ever tried reading Mein Kampf. That is one TEDIOUSLY BORING excuse of a book. I cannot emphasise enough just how mind numbingly tedious it is to read. After a few pages its like trying to be interested in a financial spreadsheet or like somebody forced you to watch East Enders . Seriously I think I got to about page 9 and just wanted to do something comparatively interesting like counting how many blades of grass there are in the garden

david,

London,

21 hours ago

I agree have tried to read it twice given up. perhaps it should be re-printed and given to kids who misbehave in detention.

cheesedbrit,

notts, United Kingdom,

19 hours ago

Its because you and david are programed sheep

Gator,

Florida, United States,

23 hours ago

They should print it on Toilet paper rolls. You get what I’m saying?

Danton,

London, United Kingdom,

15 hours ago

That would be great. I’m going to dig out my copy of Mein Kampf and hang it up as bog paper

Patrick,

Belfast,

1 day ago

If we do not investigate, learn from and preserve the past, we have no future.

tom jones,

london, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Good now he ukip voters can buy it…

2 of 3 repliesSee all replies

ChampagneLib,

Chelsea, United Kingdom,

13 hours ago

Tom, they already know it off by heart.

eonuk,

manchester,

10 hours ago

I find these comments deeply offensive. They probably arn’t even legal

Christopher,

London,

1 day ago

It’s just a book any one reading it won’t be turned into a nazi just like any one reading apt he bible won’t be turned in to a Christian and so on. You have to already have a belief for a book to affect you! It does however help to try and understand why some one had such hatred to turn them into the biggest mass killer history has ever known. The best thing we can do is learn from history and mistakes and grow as a world.

Steve in Texas,

Roscoe, United States,

1 day ago

It’s a book …….

EastYorkie,

Hull, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Mein Kampf is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand why WW2 happened. It really should be compulsary reading for all Germans in understanding their own history.

It explains Hitler’s logic and his true feelings towards all sorts of things, not only Jewish people – in fact there is relatively little time spent on his dislike of Jewish people.

When you read it, you need to appreciate what the world looked like in the 1900-1930, which were Hitler’s formative years. It is fairly easy to see why Hitler developed the idea’s he did and why Hitler actually came to power.

Once you’ve read it, you can then truly appreciate the reasons why WW2 and the Holocaust happened. People should never forget that Hitler came to power because he had popular support, which then increased as he implemented his policies prior to WW2. The invasion of Russia was the beginning of the end for Hitler, it was arguably the point he had become completely deluded.

2 of 3 repliesSee all replies

Danton,

London, United Kingdom,

23 hours ago

It is a tediously boring book written with all the flair of Harold Steptoe

Observer,

Birmingham, United Kingdom,

14 hours ago

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it

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