Soul-searching in Germany over printing of new edition of Hitler's Mein Kampf

[webfact]

Soul-searching in Germany over printing of new edition of Hitler’s Mein Kampf
By Seamus Kearney



"I find this really really awful. I'm absolutely lost for words. I never dreamed that such a thing would come back"

BERLIN: -- There’s soul-searching in Germany over the printing of a new edition of Hitler’s Nazi manifesto, which has not been in publication since the Second World War.

A critical, annotated edition of Mein Kampf is coming out after its copyright held by the State of Bavaria expires.

Some say the work should be banned outright; others say it should be read so it’s seen for what it is.

Serdar Somoncu, an entertainer who’s spoken out in favour of publication, said: “I’m convinced that no one will be led down the wrong path by reading Mein Kampf.

“On the contrary, if he was already on the wrong path, he would be clearly put off by the ideology that’s in the book.”

Teachers groups in Germany have also said the book should be studied – albeit in a critical way – to the horror of those who survived Nazi atrocities.

Esther Bejarano, a survivor from the Auschwitz concentration camp, said: “I find this really really awful. I’m absolutely lost for words.

“I never dreamed that such a thing would come back.”

The debate comes as a politician from the far-right National Democratic Party was given a suspended six-month sentence for inciting hatred.

The man was photographed in a public swimming pool with a tattoo on his back of what appeared to be a concentration camp and a slogan used by the Nazis.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-23

[ezzra]

" Teachers groups in Germany have also said the book should be studied – albeit in a critical way – to the horror of those who survived Nazi atrocities "

This is to show that no matter how long it has passed and atonements and amends Germany has made

in the last 70 years, there will always be those seeds of the vile Nazi past still alive and kicking

somewhere....

[Wilsonandson]

I wonder if the book will be on sale on the internet? I'm sure it would be a hit in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.

[hansgruber]

I dont see the problem.

Many mad men have had their memoirs and autobiographies published for centuries without a fuss.

Take the bible and Qaran for example.

[Naam]

I wonder if the book will be on sale on the internet? I'm sure it would be a hit in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.

"Mein Kampf" (English translation) is available since decades in most arab states. various English versions (British and American translators) are available since the early 1950s.

the first known English version was published in 1943!

Edited December 23, 2015 by Naam

[pitrevie]

I wonder if the book will be on sale on the internet? I'm sure it would be a hit in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.

Its freely available on the internet no need to buy it. However my guess is that you will never make it to the end its just a boring read no matter what your political viewpoint.

[Kerryd]

" Teachers groups in Germany have also said the book should be studied – albeit in a critical way – to the horror of those who survived Nazi atrocities "

This is to show that no matter how long it has passed and atonements and amends Germany has made

in the last 70 years, there will always be those seeds of the vile Nazi past still alive and kicking

somewhere....

No doubt about that. I was posted to Germany for 4 years in the mid-80s. Used to go drinking with my landlord and his buddies now and then. They were in their mid-30s for the most part, born well after the war ended, but the "master race" ideology wasn't hard to see, especially after a few beers. They weren't above tossing a few Nazi salutes around either if they didn't think anyone outside their circle would see them. Just ordinary people, truck drivers, butchers, shop owners but they shared a distinct dislike for East German "defectors" and immigrants. (This was back in the mid-late 80s remember.)

If it wasn't for their laws, their sentiments (and actions) would be a lot more prevalent and I don't doubt that it wouldn't take much for that "nationalist spirit" to start gaining momentum (again), especially if they start having problems with their latest influx of economic immigrants. A lot of angry youth (and others) in that country, like the proverbial powder keg just waiting for a spark.

I don't think Mein Kampf will change things too much. The ultra-rights and neo-Nazis probably already have all the copies they could ever want already. Just like the "Communist Manifesto" by Marx/Engels it probably won't get a lot of mainstream attention anymore. (Unless the media keep publicizing it.)

[BuaBS]

Germany could use a more moderate version of a little man with a weird moustache just about now. But just keep it within German borders this time !

[orosee]

Every decent book store in Asia with a section on biographies or WW2 should have an English language copy available, it's not as if the book was banned (except in very few select countries); even in Germany the book has not been banned, only the publishing (and sales) has been prohibited using the now expired copyright - possession has never been a problem. As mentioned above, for a German version the Internet provides for free almost everything from text-only files to scanned copies of originals. A carefully annotated version would definitely be a good study object, but selecting the "proper" annotations will be a pain in the butt.

It should not be forgotten that those who perpetrated some of the worst crimes however, grew up reading Schiller, Goethe and the Bible - today, "Mein Kampf" would probably exist as an angry Blog or YouTube channel with more followers than Hitler ever had readers.

[englishoak]

You dont ban history or its propaganda you study and break it down so it is understood, avoided and or recognised in the future.

its been in print for ages,no need to give it any more publicity...

[maximillian]

When "friends" and good and friendly neighbours of mine bragged about possessing Mein Kampf, I was sadly disappointed.

They knew I was married to an Asian Woman and that we had a "mixed race" child.

Unfortunately this kind of ideology is quite popular all over the world, yes all over the world, even in Israel, the USA and of course in GB.

The evil has a name: EGO, not Hitler.

BTW, I am German, I never read that book and I wouldn't want to waste my time reading it.

[puukao]

In the book, he spelled out what he was going to do during WWII.

Banning this book is just like banning books by Jews by Hitler.....makes zero sense.

when they banned saying his name, they said USA as an acronym for Hitler....

If the Nazis won, USA would be filled with "war criminals" and all the books there banned....

Hitler was top-10 worst humans ever......off the top of my tiny head......mao, stalin, hitler, pol pot, sukarhto or someone, maybe Genghis khan not sure, probably someone in nigeria, maybe ho chi min, probably a japanese leader....maybe a king from france or england.....goes on and on

ok, then i did a google...

http://list25.com/25-of-historys-deadliest-dictators/5/

[Cats4ever]

I have met Germans over the decades and unlike the experiences of some, they rejected the Nazi period totally. One guy used to talk about when his town was liberated in 1945. Like everywhere there are people on the right and left and nut jobs on both extremes.

[jope]

" Teachers groups in Germany have also said the book should be studied – albeit in a critical way – to the horror of those who survived Nazi atrocities "

This is to show that no matter how long it has passed and atonements and amends Germany has made

in the last 70 years, there will always be those seeds of the vile Nazi past still alive and kicking

somewhere....

No doubt about that. I was posted to Germany for 4 years in the mid-80s. Used to go drinking with my landlord and his buddies now and then. They were in their mid-30s for the most part, born well after the war ended, but the "master race" ideology wasn't hard to see, especially after a few beers. They weren't above tossing a few Nazi salutes around either if they didn't think anyone outside their circle would see them. Just ordinary people, truck drivers, butchers, shop owners but they shared a distinct dislike for East German "defectors" and immigrants. (This was back in the mid-late 80s remember.)

If it wasn't for their laws, their sentiments (and actions) would be a lot more prevalent and I don't doubt that it wouldn't take much for that "nationalist spirit" to start gaining momentum (again), especially if they start having problems with their latest influx of economic immigrants. A lot of angry youth (and others) in that country, like the proverbial powder keg just waiting for a spark.

I don't think Mein Kampf will change things too much. The ultra-rights and neo-Nazis probably already have all the copies they could ever want already. Just like the "Communist Manifesto" by Marx/Engels it probably won't get a lot of mainstream attention anymore. (Unless the media keep publicizing it.)

Just to put your experience into perspective: in 1987 the NPD ended up at 0,6 % of the votes, elections in 2013 had all right wing parties together under 2 %.

Opinion polls see the newest right wing party AfD at 9 %. I seriously doubt that they can keep their voters once the refugee situation is under control, and 9 % for a new party is quite the motivation for the old (and democratic!) parties to get things done.

Edited December 23, 2015 by jope

[elgordo38]

Easy on this topic fellas after the song writing is over we could progress to a copy of Mein Coup. Lets not give that certain someone any ideas. He has a fertile mind unfortunately it needs some weeding.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

nobody read it back then ,even though every household had one,and nobodyis going to read it now.it's a horrible read .that's why...

[Saradoc1972]

I wrote this before on another thread (actually not much need for this one):

This is much ado about nothing, a storm in a teacup, the book is still out in Germany, it's been out on the internet ever since,

it's unreadable and unintelligible drivel out of a time-machine that will not convert anyone at all...

And if they force the kids at school to read some annotated chapters of it, preferably not by a history-teacher but a good

and proper German-teacher (i.e. s.o. teaching German literature to native speakers) it's going to be the surest way there is

nobody will touch the thing ever after. Speaking from experience.

[Saradoc1972]

I wonder if the book will be on sale on the internet? I'm sure it would be a hit in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.

"Mein Kampf" (English translation) is available since decades in most arab states. various English versions (British and American translators) are available since the early 1950s.

the first known English version was published in 1943!

True enough. The Arabs call Adolf "Abu Ali" and hail him as sent by Allah as punishment for the purportedly evil Jews.

We're going to have a lot of fun with what's coming to Germany now as refugees, last nor least with as view to our revived Jewish communities...