Adolf Hitler's manifesto Mein Kampf is expected to be published in Germany next year for the first time since the death of the World War II dictator held responsible for the Holocaust.
With the expiration of a 70-year copyright hinged on the 1945 suicide death of the anti-Semitic ruler, the manuscript enters the public domain, and plans to publish an annotated version of the two-volume work in German have sparked public controversy.
Jewish groups say the work, which outlines the development of Hitler's anti-Semitism, is dangerous and should never be published in Germany again. But the publishers of Hitler, Mein Kampf. A Critical Edition say their version surrounds the hate speech of Adolf Hitler with context, explaining how the most famous villain of the 20th century formed his ideas and pointing out the flaws and untruths in his arguments.
Mein Kampf has not been published in German since 1945, out of respect for the millions of Jews, Roma, and others who died in Nazi concentration camps during the war. It has been available in other languages, published in other countries.
The work rose in popularity as Hitler gained power, reaching sales of some 12 million copies in 18 languages by his death in 1945.