Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf back in German bookstores; Jewish groups ask why

New copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf hit bookstores in Germany today for the first time since the second world war, unsettling Jewish community leaders as the copyright of the anti-Semitic manifesto expires.

The southern German state of Bavaria was handed the copyright of the book in 1945, when the Allies gave it control of the main Nazi publishing house after Hitler’s defeat. For 70 years, it refused to allow the inflammatory tract to be republished out of respect for victims of the Nazis and to prevent incitement of hatred.

But Mein Kampf – which means “My Struggle” – fell into the public domain on January 1. Copies of an annotated version running to 2,000 pages prepared by German researchers are now set to go on sale, with the authors arguing that their version would serve to demystify the notorious rant, which in any case can be found just a few clicks away on the Internet.

The version by the Institute of Contemporary History of Munich (IFZ) has been in the works since 2009 and aims to “deconstruct and put into context Hitler’s writing”.

Retailing at €59 (HK$495), the book looks at key historical questions, the institute said, including: “How were his theses conceived? What objectives did he have? And most important: which counterarguments do we have, given our knowledge today of the countless claims, lies and assertions of Hitler?”

German Education Minister Johanna Wanka has argued that such a version should be introduced to all classrooms across the country, saying it would serve to ensure that “Hitler’s comments do not remain unchallenged”.

“Pupils will have questions and it is only right that these can be addressed in classes,” she says.