For the first time since the end of World War II, Germany will officially publish Adolf Hitler’s book, “Mein Kampf.” The state of Bavaria, which owns the copyrights to the anti-Semitic work, reached the decision to publish the work.

The publication of an annotated edition of the work, complete with an explanation to readers of the dangers of Hitler’s racist doctrine, is meant to counter underground circulation of uncertified editions among neo-Nazi groups.

The state of Bavaria, in southern Germany, refused to allow any new printings of the work, and invoked its right as owner of the work to keep it from being distributed. However, the rights to the book are set to expire in 2015, 70 years after Hitler’s death. At that time, according to worldwide practice, any entity can legally print and distribute the work.

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According to German law, ownership or purchase of Hitler’s work is legal, unless it is used to spread hate, in which case it is forbidden.

Over the last few years, fear has spread, that in 2015, neo-Nazi groups will begin publishing and distributing the work in an unsupervised manner, using it to advance anti-Semitic agendas.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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