Jewish council backs new Mein Kampf edition
The Central Council of Jews advocates the publication of a scholarly edition of Adolf Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf,” broadcaster 3SAT reported on Wednesday.
Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the council told the broadcaster that despite having reservations, it would be “sensible and important” to publish an edition that included commentary from scholars.
In late June, Bavaria’s science minister Wolfgang Heubisch said he advocated a new annotated edition of the book ahead of December 31, 2015, the 70th anniversary of Hitler’s death and when the German state’s exclusive copyrights to the work expire. Plans for the project are underway at Munich’s Institute of Contemporary History (IfZ).
But some critics say that re-issuing the controversial book would offend survivors of the Holocaust. Hitler used the book’s ideology to justify the murder more than six million Jews before and during World War II. The state has forbidden the reproduction of the text due to fears of its misuse.
But Kramer said there must be a “scholarly historically critical edition in preparation today just to prevent future racketeering by neo-Nazis.”
First published in 1925, “Mein Kampf,” or “My Struggle,” is an autobiographical outline of the Nazi dictator’s political ideology written during a four-year stint in prison after a failed attempt to start a revolution in 1923.
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Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the council told the broadcaster that despite having reservations, it would be “sensible and important” to publish an edition that included commentary from scholars.
In late June, Bavaria’s science minister Wolfgang Heubisch said he advocated a new annotated edition of the book ahead of December 31, 2015, the 70th anniversary of Hitler’s death and when the German state’s exclusive copyrights to the work expire. Plans for the project are underway at Munich’s Institute of Contemporary History (IfZ).
But some critics say that re-issuing the controversial book would offend survivors of the Holocaust. Hitler used the book’s ideology to justify the murder more than six million Jews before and during World War II. The state has forbidden the reproduction of the text due to fears of its misuse.
But Kramer said there must be a “scholarly historically critical edition in preparation today just to prevent future racketeering by neo-Nazis.”
First published in 1925, “Mein Kampf,” or “My Struggle,” is an autobiographical outline of the Nazi dictator’s political ideology written during a four-year stint in prison after a failed attempt to start a revolution in 1923.
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