Historians hope to publish Hitler's Mein Kampf in Germany
Adolf Hitler, who wrote Mein Kampf
German historians are lobbying to publish Adolf Hitler's memoir Mein Kampf in the country, a move that has been backed by some local Jewish leaders.
Disseminating Nazi ideology is a crime in Germany and Mein Kampf has been banned from publication in the country since the end of World War II. However, according to German copyright law the work of any author enters the public domain 70 years after his or her death, which in Hitler's case would be 2015.
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German historians from the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich want to publish a critical version of the book. They argue that this would be the best safeguard against neo-Nazis who will want to publish their own versions once the copyright expires.
Edith Raim, a historian at the Munich institute told the New York Times: "We hope to prevent neo-Nazi publications by putting out a commented, scholarly edition before that. Mein Kampf is one of the central texts if you want to explain National Socialism, and it hasn't been available in a commented edition at all in Germany."
The German science minister last week backed publishing an annotated version of Mein Kampf. Wolfgang Heubisch said: '"Once Bavaria's copyright expires, there is the danger of charlatans and neo-Nazis appropriating this infamous book for themselves."
Stephan Kramer, general secretary of Germany's Central Council of Jews, has also supported publishing a critical edition of the book. Though he understands that Holocaust survivors are wary, he said it was better to publish the book with commentary than allow a normal version to be printed.
"It also represents a chance to demystify Mein Kampf," Kramer told The Associated Press. "The longer it remains forbidden, the more attractive it becomes."
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said that if the book is republished it is crucial that it is done in "an appropriate and sensitive manner, to help inform people about the abhorrent ideology which led to the murder of millions of people". She added that Mein Kampf continues to be used by extremists "to advance their racist and anti-Semitic agendas".
The Bavarian Finance Ministry has so far rejected the proposal to publish a critical edition. The ministry said that there would be no reprints of Mein Kampf either in Germany or abroad, out of respect for Holocaust victims. In a statement the ministry said it would use "all means at its disposal to proceed against any violations" of the publication ban.
Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, while he was imprisoned in Bavaria. The book, which details his hatred of Jews, was published in 1925 and became a best-s
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