The critical “Mein Kampf” edition of the Institute of Contemporary History (IfZ) in Munich is now also available for free on the Internet. The annotated edition of Adolf Hitler’s hate speech, published in 2016 after years of work, can now be read online in its entirety.
After they appeared (see video above), the wish was “expressed several times” to make them accessible on the internet as well.
“Lighting at its best”
“In this way, we counter the long-circulating ‘Mein Kampf’ versions of often very dubious sources online with a serious, scientifically substantiated reference point,” says IfZ director Andreas Wirsching. The institute thus provides “political-historical enlightenment in the best sense of the word”.
First place on the “Mirror” bestseller list
Before the print version, there was opposition to the critical edition project, including from Charlotte Knobloch, the president of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria. In contrast, the teachers’ association and the then federal education minister Johanna Wanka (CDU) had suggested reading excerpts from the edition in the classroom. Upon publication, the book reached number one on the “Spiegel” bestseller list.
Profits from the sale of the book go to the foundation
The anti-Semitic and racist pamphlet written by Hitler was first published in 1925/1926. From 1949, reprinting was banned by the Free State of Bavaria, which held the copyright until December 31, 2015. Since then, scientific and editorial editions have been published in several countries. The proceeds from the sale of the French edition will benefit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Source: Krone
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