Hilter's 'Mein Kampf' to be republished in Germany for first time in 75 years

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: UPI

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Researchers in Germany are on track to publish a heavily annotated version of Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf," the first time the tome has been printed in the country in 75 years.

The copyright for the 1924 biographical manifesto, currently held by the free state of Bavaria in Germany, is set to expire at the end of 2015, 70 years after the dictator's death in the spring of 1945.

Despite denazification laws that went into place after the end of World War II in Germany banning Nazi iconography, the anti-semitic book was never banned. Bavaria, though, never allowed any publishers to reprint the book and the government never published it itself, until now.

The Institute for Contemporary History first began work on a scholarly version of Hitler's book in 2010. Work was briefly halted in 2013 after the government stopped funding due to public outcry.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2015/02/24/Hilters-Mein-Kampf-to-be-republished-in-Germany-for-first-time-in-75-years/1601424813403/#ixzz3SjV0XPRE

[irisblue]

1. Why?

Why republish?

[jberryhill]

2. Perhaps so people can know what it says

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Because with the copyright expiring, someone will republish it

and an annotated version would be there to point out the lies, hypocrisy and consequences of what the book says.

The alternative would be to ban the book with a law aimed specifically at it; they do have laws about display of Nazi insignia, and hate speech, but to ban a book that played a significant part in history would be a big move. Being able to study the crimes of the past, including the self-justifications, is important.

[Xithras]

37. Because "Never Forget" requires that we remember how the Nazi's did what they did.

It benefits nobody to allow the realities of the Nazi's rise to power fade into history. If the Nazi's simply become an evil boogeyman stereotype, it becomes a lot easier to sell the lie that "it can't happen in MY world." One of the sobering realities of the Nazi's rise is how ordinary everybody was, and how a few well told stories swayed an entire nation and changed the course of the world.

Mein Kampf gives students a rare glimpse into Hitlers mind and humanizes him a bit. A humanized Hitler is far scarier than the boogeyman Hitler that many people see today, because when you understand how utterly ordinary Hitler really was, you also understand how easy it would be for another utterly ordinary person to do the same thing. That puts us in a better position to stay vigilant against those who might want to try and repeat his rise to power.

[Curtis]

3. Why not?

It is widely available and just isn't being publish in Germany right now.

Sounds like an interesting pice of work these publishers plan. I would love to read the commentary along with the original text.

[napi21]

4. This is really surprising to me.

My granddaughter & her husband live in Germany, and she's told me you NEVER even mention the word Nazi or Hitler. You can be arrested for it. Apparently the German people are still very ashamed of what their leader did, and are trying to bury it in the annals of history.

[C Moon]

6. A boss I had a few years back was from Germany, and he always made a note of calling Hitler a "nut"

or any other disrespectful term if the subject ever came to light.

[DetlefK]

13. You won't be arrested, but it's considered extremely bad taste.

If you wear Nazi-insignia, talk how the Nazis weren't that bad or say extremely racist things, that's when you get arrested for "Landfriedensbruch" ("breaking the peace of the land&quot or "Volksverhetzung" ("racist agitation against people&quot .

And nobody throws the words Nazi and Hitler around at every opportunity just to emphasize a point.

[Nye Bevan]

16. Imagine if it was unacceptable in the US to mention slavery, or Jim Crow,

or atrocities against Native Americans. And imagine if people could be arrested for doing so.

The phrase "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it" comes to mind. Every country has aspects of their history that they are not proud of, but banning all mention of such things is probably not the best way to address this.

[Kelvin Mace]

26. Given that "Hogan's Heroes" runs on German Tv

and is very a popular comedy, I think your granddaughter is misinformed.

http://www.hogansheroesfanclub.com/articleWSJ31May1996.php

[napi21]

31. Actually, it was me. You are arrested if you wear Nazi logo.

She confirmed that saying about Nazi's or Hitler is considered in vary bad taste, but the arrests happen if you wear any Nazi logo stuff.

[Kelvin Mace]

38. Oh yeah, possession or display

of "Nazi iconography" is illegal. That said, anybody remember the Hitler diaries hoax back in the 80s? I read the book Selling Hitler: The Story of the Hitler Diaries. which was when I learned about German law about Nazi memorabilia. If was a very interesting book, but very sad that people can be SO gullible. I could probably have turned out a better forgery and I don't even speak German.

[msongs]

5. I tried reading the english translation once. the first 1/3 or so was readable but it bogged down

and ran off the road in terms of readability and sense. that is not a review of its content or views, just of it as
a book. not your day at the beach kind of read.

[Purveyor]

8. I couldn't get through it either but I've the same problem with the bible...

[MosheFeingold]

39. Learn Hebrew

Reading the Torah in another language I think is a major cause of much of the confusion of its content.

There are even jokes and number games in it.

[Paulie]

41. With or without the vowel marks?

[MosheFeingold]

47. Without, preferably

The vowel points are oral tradition, and you would probably need them to get started, but not later.

[Kelvin Mace]

27. Ayn Rand

has a similar problem. Although, for some reason, despite both authors utter lack of talent as writers, they are amazingly popular books amongst a certain demographic.

[daleo]

48. I read it as a teenager, out of curiosity

Crazy ranting, for the most part, I thought. It amazed me that anyone took him seriously.

[Kalidurga]

7. I hope they give a large portion of the proceeds to the families that were affected

It would be poetic justice of a kind. I don't know if the families would feel that the money is tainted or not. I myself would have mixed feelings. But, in the end I guess I would be okay with it knowing it would make the racist pos's cry knowing the money goes to the people they hate the most.

[DetlefK]

12. That would be about a billion people...

You know, "World" War.

[Kalidurga]

15. sounds good

[DetlefK]

18. Some numbers.

Let's say, they sell 10 million books world-wide. And let's say, they make a profit of 5 euros per book.

If the dole that out to 1 billion people, that's 5 cent per person.

And what about me? I had ancestors who fought for the Nazis and ancestors who were against the Nazis. Will I get my 5 cent?

[Kalidurga]

19. sigh

[Takashi Zara]

9. I suppose an unsympathetic analysis could be useful from a historical perspective

The diverse--and fairly contradictory, best I can tell--origins of Hitler's thought processes would be...interesting...to trace as a theoretical exercise, though I cannot envy the writer saddled with the task. I can't imagine any other motive aside from pure profiteering.

Perhaps they want to reprint the work with the word "Muslim" or "Russian" substituted for "Jew" and use it to drum up support for the wars de jure?

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Or maybe they have an audience with the original victims.

Some are just as enamored with a war against Jews as they were "back in the day." Some history is to be explored in a way to create a new vision.

[polynomial]

14. There is a lot to learn.

That whole time line needs to be opened for discussion and all the truths associated with what is called the Romantic era in Europe before the great-war, however America is tied supporting a basic holocaust directed at Jews.

The New Yorker published an article that establishes a German Arab character of an Eigen Valued culture that needs to be understood in time forward. We need to sift through this German Arab ambition to extinguish humans.



There are many embarrassments associated with this era yet it all can be turned for the better if we understand the behavior.

One of my own personal believes about that so called secret data base created, especially the one beginning the Bush years, Bush 41, or better Prescott Bush used as behavior analysis for profiteering and power. These secrets can be part of the solution and should be published.

What is interesting is the cultural time line fits a social change in Berlin that is a fascinating story of sexology, and passion sweeping Europe.

It should be told and talked about, what really was striking to me was Hitler’s head of the Brown Shirts was gay, a very interesting history I did not know.

Berlin being the center or invention of Gay or same sex love in the time line of world war two.

The New Yorker link

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/berlin-story

[PADemD]

17. Why?

It is the only book that should be burned.

[heaven05]

20. figures

slowly the human race has been turning, inch by inch, step by step.......... ..........to an earlier time......

[davidpdx]

21. As much as I despise Hitler, republishing it reminds the world

of what a horrible despicable human being he was. And that is a good thing.

[Coventina]

22. A scholarly annotation is a good thing. The past should never be buried.

Good for Bavaria for allowing this project to be completed.



on edit: I am reccing this thread for the following reasons:

1) Love ya, BTA
2) I'm pro-scholarship
3) I'm pro-criticism
4) Burying the past is dangerous
5) Banning things is fascist

[Kelvin Mace]

28. What Coventina said

[Tom Ripley]

23. It won't match the sales figures from the last time around

[onehandle]

24. Copies float around American gun shows.

I assumed it was still in print?

[Paladin]

25. In the past, I might have offered up some criticism of Germany on this.

But given this country's headlong stumble toward fascism---and the failure of progressive political forces to do much of anything about it---I'd now feel like a hypocrite. Check out the current headlines about the Chicago police using the Bill of Rights for toilet paper, and then tell me I'm wrong.

[Lurks Often]

29. You can find used copies in English just about anywhere

I haven't read it, have no interest in reading it and don't plan on reading it, but banning the book is ridiculous.

Probably more people read the book to see what kind of monster Hitler was and to try to understand how he rose to power as part of the history of that time, then read it as some sort of inspiration.

[CountAllVotes]

30. It should be made required reading in the schools

Yes, Germany has much to be ashamed of, especially when you consider the realities of the time that can be viewed right here:

I met up with a German tourist awhile back and said tourist was asking me where I lived. I told the person where and some how the conversation turned to German Shepherds. I mentioned that we'd had a few of them as pets when I was growing up and that they lived to be about 10 years old and were buried in our backyard.

Seems in the EU they do NOT allow you to bury a beloved pet, or any animal for that matter, on your property. I never asked why but I could not help but wonder if they were worried that if you dug too deep you might find human remains from this horrific time in and around certain parts of the EU, hence this ban.

I really hope I am wrong but the person that told me this was practically hysterical when I broke this "news" to them about what was considered to be something that is not an issue in the United States and that is burying the remains of an animal on your personal property.

That said, let them all read this madman's book. It shows how insane he was. It bothered me so much that I got rid of it and did not even want the creepy thing around. It is a sicko book no doubt but still, it provides insight into the mind of a psychotic individual named Adolf Hitler nonetheless.

I found in travels to Austria and Germany that they certainly do not openly discuss Hitler and I also noticed that you'd pick-up a few off the cuff remarks here and there as an attempt to bring a touch of humor to this sickening time.

So let them read it --

and ...

weep.

[Coventina]

32. Actually, burying pets in your backyard is technically against the law in many US cities.

But, not heavily enforced and often ignored.

The reason is that most people don't dig deep enough, and the bodies can be easily dug up by dogs, or a heavy storm.
Also, cities with a high water table can find it problematic. Not only does the body "float" to the surface, but it contaminates the water.

[nilesobek]

45. In 2000 we had this Charlie Brown

Christmas tree about a foot and a half tall. The label said, "redwood." It was a live tree and we kept it inside until almost February but suddenly our dog died, she was a 100 giant schnauzer and our beloved pet.

I buried her in the backyard and planted the tree nearby. Now the tree is almost 40 feet high with an enormous trunk, straight and true, with the beautiful redwood bark eerily shining in the setting sun.

It wasn't until later on that I found out that burying my dog in my yard was illegal. I was supposed to put her into a black plastic contractor bag and toss her in the trash.

Thank God that I hate authority and own a beloved Yoshi Tree.

[Coventina]

46. I totally get that. And, I'm facing such a decision of my own, soon.

I realize that my beloved girl is 15 and probably won't see 16.
But we've had a wonderful decade and 1/2 together.

I can't imagine her final resting place anywhere but here with me.
And, I have a strong husband who can dig deep holes.....

[Xithras]

36. It was sort of required in my high school.

Sort of. When we studied contemporary world history, we were required to complete an assignment on the methods that the Nazi's used to spread their propaganda. One of the three ways to complete the assignment was to analyze Mein Kampf and write a full report on it. To do that, you obviously had to read it. One of the other ways was to analyze Nazi propaganda films, and the third had to do with their rallies. I did the report on the book (as did most of the class), and don't remember what the kids who did the other two options had to do. Most of us did the book report simply because it was the only option that didn't require us to spend time in our libraries media lab after school

[Yavin4]

33. "Mein Kampf" in English means....

the Republican party platform

[Xithras]

34. FYI, the book has never gone out of print in the U.S. and can be found in most libraries.

During WW2 the U.S. government seized ownership of the books copyrights to prevent profits from its sales from flowing back to the Nazi party. After WW2 ended, the government sold the copyrights to a book publisher and it's been consistently printed ever since. Most of the copies are sold to libraries and universities replacing damaged or lost copies, but a hefty percentage are obviously bought up by the far right. As I recall, my high school library had several copies for students to use as research for various history assignments.

The printing discussed in the article is only newsworthy because it's the first time any Germans have tried to print it since WW2. It's readily available in most of the rest of the world. Heck, a quick check at Amazon shows that they sell at least ten different editions of the book (in German, in English, annotated and otherwise, abridged and otherwise, etc).

[yellowcanine]

35. Pat Buchanan and G. Gordon Liddy have ordered copies in the original German.

[MosheFeingold]

40. Don't Make Fun of Pat

His father died in Dachau.


. . . . he fell out of a guard tower.

[Telcontar]

42. I have an English copy

Incomprehensible. Tried to read it a few times; gave up each time. Just can't understand the mindset.

[roamer65]

43. This is going to make other EU nations nervous.

Germany should have banned that book.

[Behind the Aegis]

44. Quite possible.

However, the neo-Nazi movement is already in full swing in Germany, like other places, but it doesn't have much power, or really in state power.

I don't think the book should be banned. The idea they are making notes is interesting and might make that piece of drek readable. Banning books or making them PC (as is happening in some places) is akin to re-writing history.