Desert Palace

A British publisher is controversially planning to publish excerpts of Hitler’s memoir “Mein Kampf” in Germany, along with a critical commentary.

But the state of Bavaria, which holds the copyright, is threatening legal action to prevent publication of “The Unreadable Book”.

“It’s not like the German perspective. The British perspective would be… if this is something you don’t like, you don’t hide it and hope it goes away, you confront it, you discuss it, you criticise it,” said Peter McGee, Head of Albertas Ltd, the publisher.

A prominent German Jewish organisation has said that if Mein Kampf has to be published, it is better for it to appear with notes. But others have attacked the move.

“I have to condemn it because it’s only about making money. They want to make money under the pretext of breaking down a taboo. For me it’s tasteless,” said historian Stefanie Schueler-Springorum.

Three years ago Bavaria failed to stop extracts of old Nazi newspapers from being published by the same company.

Opinions remain divided on whether the latest booklet is a historical aid, or commercial opportunism.

What Peter McGee says above conflicts somewhat with my own experiences in Germany. Most Germans I’ve met are quite willing to discuss nazism, both in the historical context and in how it affects contemporary society. Kids here have long been encouraged to do so. I can see that it is more a point of taboo or embarrassment for older people who experienced WWII directly, but largely this has not filtered down to the younger generations.

I should mention that I live only in one region (Niedersachsen) - and that in other areas attitudes can be vastly different: for example in the eastern states, which under the DDR had a separate cultural approach to the fallout from WWII; and in Bavaria, where the topic is more emotionally charged.

Nazism is still a sensitive theme in Germany, and - without precluding open discussion - it deserves to be handled accordingly.