German shops 'to sell Mein Kampf': Country may be forced to allow Hitler's manifesto to be sold for first time since 1945 when copyright held by state of Bavaria expires
- 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
Published: 20:02 EST, 25 June 2014 | Updated: 04:54 EST, 26 June 2014
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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 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
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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.