(JTA) — A Brazilian publisher canceled the release of a new printing of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” after strong pressure from the Jewish community and scholars.
Edipro reportedly decided on Thursday to call off a first printing run of 1,000 copies, saying it was an old translation to Portuguese from the 1930s with no commentary. The release was slated for late January.
The vice president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, Paulo Maltz, said legal procedures are under discussion to prevent the national distribution of the book authored by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Osias Wurman, Israel’s honorary consul in Rio de Janeiro, said: “The book is Nazi propaganda and, under Brazilian law, selling it is a non-bailable crime.”
However, Wurman joined some major publishers in Brazil in giving a thumbs-up to an annotated edition, saying: “People need to understand what happened.”
Laura Gasparian, owner of Argumento bookstore, said she will sell “Mein Kampf” because “it’s a historic document and some people have already been looking for it. But it will go straight to the shelves, it won’t be on display.”
A 1,000-page edition – with the 650 pages from the original manifesto – is being designed along with 305 notes from an American edition plus other commentary from prominent Brazilian historians.
The 70-year copyright in Germany of the anti-Semitic tract, whose title means “My Struggle,” expired on Jan. 1, allowing it to be published in the country for the first time since World War II.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
