German historians plan Hitler's Mein Kampf reprint.

[Connaught Ranger]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100204/tts-uk-germany-meinkampf-ca02f96.html


German historians plan Hitler's Mein Kampf reprint.

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German historians plan to reissue Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the partly autobiographical book which outlined the Nazi dictator's vision of racial supremacy. Skip related content (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100204/tts-uk-germany-meinkampf-ca02f96.html#ynw-article-part2)
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A young Czech woman reads a copy of Hitler's manifesto Mein Kampf Enlarge photo (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100204/img/pts-a-young-czech-woman-rea-16379255ee78.html)

Banned since the war, the anti-Jewish political work first published in 1925 became a school textbook after Hitler seized power in 1933. All German newlyweds also received a copy.

Edith Raim at the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich said on Thursday the centre plans to issue an annotated version of Mein Kampf (My Struggle) with editorial comments once the copyright expires at the end of 2015.

"It's one of the most important books of the National Socialist era: it should be available to the public," said Raim.

The general secretary of Germany's Central Council of Jews had mooted a similar idea in 2008.

In Germany, it is illegal to distribute the lengthy tome except in special circumstances -- such as for academic research. Nazi symbols like the swastika and performing the stiff-armed Hitler salute are also outlawed.

Raim said the planned reprint of the book that had run to some 12 million copies by the end of the war aimed to help alert people to the dangers of Nazi ideology, not spread it.

"More than two generations have passed since then," she said. "I don't think the contents of the book pose the same risks to the population today." Hitler dictated the book to his aide Rudolf Hess while in prison in Bavaria following the failed Munich "Beer Hall" putsch of 1923. The work details his doctrine of German racial supremacy and ambitions to annex huge areas of the Soviet Union.

The Bavarian state government, which has had held the copyright since the war, said it had no intention of relaxing its restrictions on the book's publication for now.

"When the copyright expires on December 31, 2015 the distribution of National Socialist ideology will still be prohibited and punishable by law," the Bavarian state finance ministry said in a statement.

A number of historians have called on Germany to lift the ban in recent years, some of them Jewish.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, editing by Paul Casciato)

Can one even argue the desire for money overcomes common sense?

Connaught Ranger.

[LineDoggie]

Read it when I was 12, realized what a fcuking nut he was

[Noons86]

Only one prominent European politician read it back in the 1930's. Any guesses as to who it was? Its a good lesson for when future dictators come to power.

[Redox]

I dont see how this is a problem.
Publishing mein Kampf takes away some of the mysticism around it and exposes it as the piece of crap that it is.
People who really like its content are damaged beyond repair anyway.

[Chauncey]

It's freely available in Aus at libraries and bookshops and has been forever. I agree with Linedoggie too - it's unreadable garbage.

[Niall]

Lets hope they aren't planning round 3!

[Indiana Jones]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100204/tts-uk-germany-meinkampf-ca02f96.html

Can one even argue the desire for money overcomes common sense?

Connaught Ranger.
Money has nothing to do with it, you can take my word for it.

[quinsen]

It's available in almost every country in the world. Just the Germans fear that a reprint will break the Seven Seals of Revelation... :roll:

[therifleman]

I don't see what the problem is. Every major bookstore in the US has copies.

[LineDoggie]

Lets hope they aren't planning round 3!
Who is "They" ?

[Karaahmetoglu]

Lets hope they aren't planning round 3!

I heard third time is the charm.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Wasn't a draft of a second volume or successor to Mein Kampf discovered in the last few years?

[G-AWZT]

Meine Kraap. Hitler's gripping account of his extreme flatulance.

[SBL]

mein kampf
dein kampf
wir alle kampf
für ein kampf

[HellToupee]

I don't see problem, banning books is something the NAZIs did. Reading it wont turn you into a Nazi might give you some idea of what was going on in hitlers head tho.

[tluassa]

You can get it in every German University library, not even to talk about the unimaginable act to type in "mein kampf - ebook" into google ...

The commented version is also legally available to my knowledge. Its a complete fuss about nothing :) Typical "outcry" of dumb People that didnt even care to ask why historians would want to reprint it.

The simple truth is that you can also read "Mein Kampf" critical !!! And anyone reading this boring, mad, terrible-writing-style book will rather consider Hitler a madman than adore him.

[CPL Trevoga]

My wife called me "Mein Furher" other day. :) Now that's a good woman.

[Mackie]

You can get it in every German University library, not even to talk about the unimaginable act to type in "mein kampf - ebook" into google ...

I tried the eBook.
My worst read since Manns Mephisto. ^^



My wife called me "Mein Furher" other day. :) Now that's a good woman.

Strange *** life.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Man if I was a reletive of Hitler I'd be cheering. The book doesn't go into public domain until 2015.

Woot if your a Hitler family member

[gazell]

Man if I was a reletive of Hitler I'd be cheering. The book doesn't go into public domain until 2015.

Woot if your a Hitler family member

You wat?

Seriously though, it's available all over the place, just banning things is counter-productive, really.

[click]

Communist Manifesto is still in print. Who gives a crap?

[Seek]

As long as it contains annotations to debunk the myths hitler wanted everyone to believe about his persona and time in vienna, i'm not against a reprint. There are enough dumbasses, who take every written word for granted, especially in germany...

[sepheronx]

Mein kampfy chair

[Whitcomb]

Its one of the three books that I wanted to say I've read before I graduate college. Of the three (The Art of War, War and Peace, Mein Kampf) I've finished The Art of War and have started War and Peace

[CG51]

It's available on line. Big deal.

[Alfacentori]

It's an historical text that is in common useage at universities and colleges around the world, so I hardly see an issue.

Alfa

[G-AWZT]

Barney Hitler is gonna be sooo happy.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

You wat?

Seriously though, it's available all over the place, just banning things is counter-productive, really.

It's not out of copyright yet. Which means that the owner of the copyright can still expect to recieve considerable royalties from publication. The copyright expires in 2015 so for the next 5 years at least considerable royalties will be earned.

[Sootan]

^^

So who's gonna collect? The state?

[dttk0009]

Uh oh. Ze evil Germans are at it again.

[MichaelF]

When does Adolf get on the German Euro coin?

[skyrock]

I bought it in America's oldest book store a few years back. I am not sure if it was the translator's intention or just Hitler's own writing style -- almost every sentence runs four lines or longer, which makes the fvcking boring book unreadable. I gave it to my friend when I moved. It was still like new.

[Connaught Ranger]

Man if I was a reletive of Hitler I'd be cheering. The book doesn't go into public domain until 2015.

Woot if your a Hitler family member

I believe they cannot get any proceeds from the original version, despite a few legal attempts to reverse the decision, so why would a reprint make them rich?

[Steak-Sauce]

No need for me to buy it, my Grandma still has her original "Mein Kampf" somewhere at home, received as a gift to her wedding. Can't say it's a masterpiece of literature, though.

[matthew.manhorn]

Who gives a crap? I'd have to read a few chapters from that book for my Jewish Diaspora class, considering that my professor and 99% of my classmates are all jews.

The more you censor stuff, the more appealing it will be to the innocent teenagers. Censorship is still the reason why Neo-Nazis exists in Germany today.

[lunte]

I dont see how this is a problem.
Publishing mein Kampf takes away some of the mysticism around it and exposes it as the piece of crap that it is.
People who really like its content are damaged beyond repair anyway.

I agree It is just a book. Surely the nutcases that reads it and get 'inspired' are already way beyond normal behaviou anyway. Trying to stop the book would be like trying to prevent a teenager from drinking - it only gets a lot worse if you tell them they can't do it.

[tsuri]

The book is not banned. The State of Bavaria(as the holder of the Copyright) merely does not print any new versions.
The issue is that a complete version of the book has never been reprinted. The annotated versions are usually abridged. Some organisations in Germany do not want a reprint for reasons of deference, this can no longer be enforced when the Copyright expires.

What might happen is another extension of the Copyright as did happen with Walt Disney. But all this does, is buy some time.

[Xaito]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100204/tts-uk-germany-meinkampf-ca02f96.html

Can one even argue the desire for money overcomes common sense?

Connaught Ranger.

I'd think most people who will buy and/or read "Mein Kampf" will do it without any sinister intentions. :roll:
Also I don't think a new reprint is targeted at those people who will.

[Atlantic Friend]

It's hateful garbage, but not allowing it to be reprinted only gives Neonazis a monopoly on knowledge of the book. Better expose it for what it is and dispel the idea that the book must be true since it's banned.

[Richie B]

Mein Kampf - an apt title.

My personal "Kampf" was trying to stay awake whilst the reading the bloody thing.

Same goes for Marx - Karl not Groucho that is.

Richie

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

I believe they cannot get any proceeds from the original version, despite a few legal attempts to reverse the decision, so why would a reprint make them rich?

Because the book is copyrighted. Just because a person is dead does not extinguish copyright. In Germany copyright exists 70 years after the death of the creator/author of a body of work. It's not 2015.

In some juristdictions the copyright has been forfeited. (US, UK and Canada) but the original German copyright still exists. At the end of the war Hitlers assets were transferred to the state of Bavaria by the occupying powers since none of Hitlers reletives wanted anything to do with the man.

But that's not say living reletives can not or will not take it to court to claim ownership of the copyright and any release post 1945 the publishers will be due to pay those royalties. Even Bavaria the current owners could if they chose to do say claim those royalties.

Why do you think Michael Jackson was never declared bankrupt? He was sitting on a goldmine owning the copyright (back catologue) of the Beetles and could keep borrowing on that asset.

Annie Lebowitz is currently the same. In more debt then she can finance through current income but due to an extensive back catologue can keep fobbing off the banks.

Why do you think the RIAA and Movie studios make such a huge fuss over copyright theft?

:)

[OrangeWolf]

mein kampf
dein kampf
wir alle kampf
für ein kampf

You scream
we scream
they scream
for icem cream

[JJHH]

Why not, freedom of speech.

[lunte]

Just get it out there. I agree it is better to expose it and get it out in the open. Freedom of speech

[Difool]

This book has been as widespread as the bible in Germany. So you might guess it's still present in every second household in modern Germany. Of course it's place is not in the first row on a bookshelf and only a few started to read it.
So I too wouldn't mind a reprint. Same I think of the reprint of German newspapers of that time.
Both might help the newer generations to understand what has happened back then.

[LineDoggie]

Ban it and it becomes "Kewl" to read, keep it out there and people will see what tripe it is, like the "Turner Diaries". A wank fest of hate

[quinsen]

There are enough dumbasses, who take every written word for granted, especially in germany...
...where Nazis ride on dinosaurs. You missed that.

[LineDoggie]

Velociraptor Ausf. H mit Zimmerit...............

[Difool]

As long as it contains annotations to debunk the myths hitler wanted everyone to believe about his persona and time in vienna, i'm not against a reprint. There are enough dumbasses, who take every written word for granted, especially in germany...

Especially in Germany NOT!


Communist Manifesto is still in print. Who gives a crap?

Have you ever tried to read "Das Kapital". I gave up
after a few pages. Mein Kampf is easier to read but rather boring.

[Tyon]

The more you censor stuff, the more appealing it will be to the innocent teenagers. Censorship is still the reason why Neo-Nazis exists in Germany today.

No the reason why there are neo-nazis in germany is that some people are racist. Otherwise there should be no neo nazis in countries that dont forbid nazistuff. But surprise surprise there are.



Have you ever tried to read "Das Kapital". I gave up
after a few pages. Mein Kampf is easier to read but rather boring.

I have to say i liked Das Kapial more. For me it was easier to read than Mein Kampf and a lot more friendly.

[commanding]

I'd think most people who will buy and/or read "Mein Kampf" will do it without any sinister intentions. :roll:
Also I don't think a new reprint is targeted at those people who will.

I totally agree. I have never read the book (Mein Kampf) nor have any desire to do so.....but to either ban books, or cast the evil eye on the publication of books with which we do not agree, is in my view not a good idea. One of the books in the USA that is heavily frowned on is "The Turner Diaries" which is about anti govt. and anti-Jew, anti-Blacks, and bombing of Federal buildings etc. It is a pile of hooey but it should continue to be at least available....books/ideas...it is better to allow freedom of the press. just my 2 cents.

[CPL Trevoga]

Strange *** life.

Lol, Mackie. We're not Germans.

[pacifist]

I've read it. Wasn't impressed and didn't become a nazi.

[MagnusTacitus]

Im going to write a book
I will call it "Mein Krampf"

[cp6oj3]

The more you censor stuff, the more appealing it will be to the innocent teenagers.

This is a very good assesment.

How many teens in Eastern Europe (or elsewhere where liquor laws against minors are not strongly enforced) do you hear saying "Man I'm gonna get so wasted on Friday!". Compare that with all of North America.

[G-AWZT]

To appeal to teens Mein Kraap needs to have comic book graphics and large print.