German Historian wants Hitler's book republished

[Potsdamerplatz]

GERMAN HISTORIAN WANTS HITLER'S BOOK REPUBLISHED

A German historian is campaigning to get Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" published in Germany for the first time since World War II, warning that a delay could turn the controversial book into a sensation.

But his drive has been criticised by Jewish groups, who say publishing the book too early would offend Holocaust survivors and send the wrong signal about Germany.

Hitler dictated the tome while in prison in Bavaria following the failed Munich “Beer Hall” putsch of 1923.

It outlines a doctrine of German racial supremacy and ambitions to annex vast areas of the Soviet Union.

First published in 1925, it was a standard text in German schools after Hitler won power in 1933.

Now only purchasers who can prove an academic purpose may secure a copy of Mein Kampf.

Otherwise, it is not available in Germany, as the copyright holder, the state of Bavaria, refuses to authorise the printing of new copies.

Bavaria's copyright, assigned to it by the Allies after World War II, expires in 2015, after which time anyone will be able to publish the book.

Professor Horst Moeller, director of the Munich Insitute of Contemporary History, says waiting until that date is risky.

“You can be sure it will be sold as a sensation,” Prof Moeller told Reuters.

He argues that the existing publishing ban gives the book a dangerous mystique and advocates the printing of a new annotated edition as soon as possible which would include critical commentary on the text itself.

This, he says, would prevent the book from creating a sensation when the ban is lifted in 2015.

“You could prevent that happening, if an academic edition of the book was already available,” he said.

But professor Salomon Korn, the vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told Reuters he was opposed to the historian's plan.

“I believe it is the wrong decision to reprint this book,” he said.

“The danger I see is that there could be a misunderstanding if this book, which is highly symbolic, comes into publication with German help.”

He is also worried that World War II survivors might be offended by a decision to reprint a book promoting Hitler's hatred of Jews.

Mein Kampf, which translates as My Struggle, is available online and published in most countries, including Israel.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 02,00.html

Best regards.

[Aquarius1011]

We should be entitled to read whatever books we want to. It's what we do with the knowledge afterwards that matters.
I think it's silly that it's banned in Germany, and so on. Over there one could just read it online, and so on.
I have, incidentally, read 'Mein Kampf'. It's quite good, but starts off slow. The introduction is about as long as the book itself.

[Stevens25]

We should be entitled to read whatever books we want to. It's what we do with the knowledge afterwards that matters.
I think it's silly that it's banned in Germany, and so on. Over there one could just read it online, and so on.
I have, incidentally, read 'Mein Kampf'. It's quite good, but starts off slow. The introduction is about as long as the book itself.

I agree. Plus,I always hear that Germany wants to confront it's past,and this would be another step in doing that.

[ChristopherPerrien]

Whoo! Necro-thread city.

This book is going to be published in the near future. The "new" German version is highly annotated and edited and rendered "harmless" as I understand it. Making an already tiresome book , even more-so.

They(German educational establishment,et al.) are doing this to head off the fact that the copyright expires in 2015 in Germany, making a publication of the original book a real possibility, if they can't legislate/annotate a "substitute". There are many people who don't want any Germans/Pan-Germans reading an original copy.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/bavaria-plans-to-publish-new-edition-of-adolf-hitler-s-mein-kampf-a-829513.html