Sunday, February 1, 2009

Bavaria seizes educational reprints of Nazi propaganda

Munich - Bavarian authorities on Friday began seizing educational reprints of Nazi propaganda, saying the facsimiles of 75- year-old hate-filled newspapers might inspire modern-day neo-Nazis. The reprints are the work of a British part-works publisher, Albertas, which uses historic newspapers to give readers in several European nations a feel for the past. The editions have commentaries which dissect the propaganda tricks.

The state of Bavaria has opposed the series since it began two weeks ago and became a best-seller in a nation where most people under 80 have never seen Nazi propaganda in the raw and those over 80 do not want to talk about it.

Several leading historians in Germany have praised the series, saying it will educate young Germans about their nation's awful past.

Bavaria, where dictator Adolf Hitler once made his home, claims copyright over major Nazi writings and forbids any reprints. Albertas ignored an earlier cease-and-desist letter from Bavarian authorities.

Justice authorities in Munich said the British publisher would be prosecuted under anti-Nazi laws for printing swastikas.

The new weekly popular history series, using papers from the 1930s and 1940s, is aimed at the general public and schools.

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