Bavaria Aims to Block Hitler Book in Poland

The German state of Bavaria said Tuesday it was seeking legal action to prevent Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" from being published in Poland. Bavaria's Finance Minister Kurt Faltlhauser issued a statement saying that the German state, which the victorious World War II allies designated as the guardian of Hitler's estate, holds the rights to the book and will apply "those rights very restrictively to prevent the spread of Nazi ideology." The book, which details the Nazi dictator's anti-Semitic views and other beliefs, is due to go on sale in a few days. Polish publisher XXL said it wants to make a historical record available. A first edition was published in Polish in 1992 but was withdrawn after claims that it had incited racial hatred. The new edition is unlikely to raise legal problems because its foreword puts it in a historical context, experts say. The book is banned from public display or sale in Germany although it is available for historical research in libraries.