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New Critical Edition of Mein Kampf Released on 100th Anniversary

A critical edition from Munich’s Institute of Contemporary History offers fresh analysis of Hitler’s original text.

Overview

  • The first volume of Mein Kampf debuted on July 18, 1925, marking the origin of Hitler’s expansionist and antisemitic manifesto.
  • After Bavarian rights expired in 2016, scholars from the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich prepared a critical edition under Christian Hartmann’s direction.
  • The new edition juxtaposes the original German text with extensive annotations that detail Hitler’s authorship in Landsberg Fortress and ideological planning for annexing Austria and securing Lebensraum.
  • Early readers and some political commentators underestimated the book’s danger, overlooking passages that foreshadowed the Holocaust.
  • Today’s release renews scholarly engagement with the text’s legacy and prompts reflection on modern interpretations of extremist literature.