Reading from Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” Provokes Furor

A planned reading from Hitler’s autobiography "Mein Kampf" has sparked much debate in the eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Mathias Brodkorb, a young Social Democrat member of the state parliament planned to read an extract from the controversial book at a large youth gathering in the town of Prora later this month under the title "Hitler at Midnight." However, conservative right-wing parliamentarian Michael Ankermann has demanded a stop to the event and said it was a sign of political immaturity when "extracts from the sorry creation by the most terrible German are read out during a ghost storytelling night" at a frivolous youth event. Ankermann added that the ban on Hitler’s book in Germany didn’t exist without reason. Brodkorb, however, said disallowing the circulation of "Mein Kampf" in Germany was not in touch with the times, especially as the book is available so freely in the United States or Israel. Brodkorb has called for an end to the "secretiveness" surrounding the book and pushed for an open debate.