Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    AI and Microcredentials
Sign In
Global

Academics Protest Bavaria’s About-Face on Publishing ‘Mein Kampf’

By Paul Hockenos January 13, 2014
Berlin

A high-profile scholarly effort to publish an annotated version of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf has been thrown into question by the German state of Bavaria.

The Bavarian government, which owns the copyright to the infamous tome, has unexpectedly withdrawn its funding for the project—some 500,000 euros. Moreover, it now says it will pursue legal action against any German publishers that release Mein Kampf after December 31, 2015, when the copyright expires, under laws banning hate speech and incitement. The about-face has stunned academics, who believe an authorized, annotated version of the book will help “demystify” the text.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

A high-profile scholarly effort to publish an annotated version of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf has been thrown into question by the German state of Bavaria.

The Bavarian government, which owns the copyright to the infamous tome, has unexpectedly withdrawn its funding for the project—some 500,000 euros. Moreover, it now says it will pursue legal action against any German publishers that release Mein Kampf after December 31, 2015, when the copyright expires, under laws banning hate speech and incitement. The about-face has stunned academics, who believe an authorized, annotated version of the book will help “demystify” the text.

As Hitler’s last registered address, Bavaria owns the copyright and keeps it under lock and key—to the extent that’s possible (copies are widely available in used-book stores and on the Internet). But a few years ago, with the end of the copyright looming, the Bavarian government opted to support the annotated version of the book.

The goal of the project was to publish a version, prepared by leading historians at Munich’s prestigious Institute for Contemporary History, that would counter Hitler’s outrageous assertions with hard facts. That solution had almost everybody involved on board, including representatives of Germany’s Jewish community. The plan was for the special edition to appear in January 2016, pre-empting the publication of unannotated editions—and hopefully stealing their thunder.

Now, however, that strategy has been abandoned, at least by Bavaria.

“I can’t understand why this discussion should be postponed or suppressed,” said Hajo Funke, a professor emeritus at the Free University of Berlin and author of several books on right-wing extremism. “The paranoid ideas can and should be tackled head-on.”

“Hitler’s autobiographical remarks are embarrassing and ridiculous, the theses confused,” scoffed Cicero, a German magazine on politics and culture. “Banning it only makes the book more powerful and a trophy for Nazis.”

But the Bavarians got cold feet after discussions with Holocaust survivors who insisted the book remain verboten. Important Jewish figures in Germany subsequently lobbied Bavarian politicians to rethink their plans. Horst Seehofer, chairman of the Christian Social Union, Bavaria’s leading political party, said it was impolitic to seek to ban far-right parties in Germany and simultaneously release Mein Kampf.

The head of the Institute for Contemporary History, Andreas Wirsching, is above all puzzled by the move. “I can’t conceal my disappointment,” he told The Chronicle, noting that he had not been personally informed by the Bavarian government. “Politicians should stay out of this kind of project and leave scholarship to trained academics,” he said. “Politicizing the whole issue makes it even harder to have a rational discussion. Banning or trying to ban Mein Kampf simply contributes to mystifying it even more. It’s futile and counterproductive.”

Mr. Wirsching said that the annotation project would continue even without state support, which accounted for the effort’s entire budget; funds will be found within the institute. He said that despite the authorities’ threat to press charges against the publishers of Mein Kampf, he doubted they would go after the institute’s annotated edition.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
International
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Photo illustration showing internal email text snippets over a photo of a University of Iowa campus quad
Red-state reticence
Facing Research Cuts, Officials at U. of Iowa Spoke of a ‘Limited Ability to Publicly Fight This’
Photo illustration showing Santa Ono seated, places small in the corner of a dark space
'Unrelentingly Sad'
Santa Ono Wanted a Presidency. He Became a Pariah.
Illustration of a rushing crowd carrying HSI letters
Seeking precedent
Funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions Is Discriminatory and Unconstitutional, Lawsuit Argues
Photo-based illustration of scissors cutting through paper that is a photo of an idyllic liberal arts college campus on one side and money on the other
Finance
Small Colleges Are Banding Together Against a Higher Endowment Tax. This Is Why.

From The Review

Football game between UCLA and Colorado University, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., Sept. 24, 2022.
The Review | Opinion
My University Values Football More Than Education
By Sigman Byrd
Photo- and type-based illustration depicting the acronym AAUP with the second A as the arrow of a compass and facing not north but southeast.
The Review | Essay
The Unraveling of the AAUP
By Matthew W. Finkin
Photo-based illustration of the Capitol building dome propped on a stick attached to a string, like a trap.
The Review | Opinion
Colleges Can’t Trust the Federal Government. What Now?
By Brian Rosenberg

Upcoming Events

Plain_Acuity_DurableSkills_VF.png
Why Employers Value ‘Durable’ Skills
Warwick_Leadership_Javi.png
University Transformation: a Global Leadership Perspective
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin