The Israeli Embassy in Lithuania has asked the local publishing house Obuolys to rethink its plans for putting out a Lithuanian-language edition of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Making the Nazi manifesto available for purchase, the embassy cautioned, could jeopardize ongoing efforts to fight antisemitism and keep the memory of Holocaust victims alive.
The planned publication sparked controversy in Lithuania despite the publisher’s insistence that the book serves as a critical historical study. Due out in December, the 800-page volume features over 1,500 footnotes, historical explanations, and critical annotations put together by the Polish historian and political scientist Eugeniusz Cezary Król.
Arūnas Bubnys, acting head of Lithuania’s Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, wrote the introduction and supervised the historical accuracy of the translation. The Israeli Embassy expressed profound shock and outrage over the commercial distribution of the text.
“The embassy expresses our profound shock and outrage at the intention to publish and distribute a Lithuanian translation of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf,’” the embassy said. “This poisonous manifesto laid the ideological foundations for the systematic extermination of millions of people, including approximately 95% of Lithuania’s Jewish community.”
Embassy warns about rising antisemitism and hate manifestos
The diplomatic mission warned that the project must be viewed in the context of rising antisemitism, Holocaust distortion, and global extremism. While acknowledging the importance of scholarly research, the embassy argued that a clear distinction must exist between controlled academic study and the commercial distribution of a hate manifesto.
“For Lithuanian Jews, who still bear the deep scars of the Holocaust, this book is more than a theoretical historical artifact. It is a unique symbol of murderous hatred,” the embassy said. The embassy urged the publisher and related parties to demonstrate historical sensitivity by halting the release.
Obuolys defended the project by noting that the text is already widely accessible online and in older editions lacking historical commentary. Publishing project manager Daiva Latinienė said the company spent a long time discussing the release before preparing a critical edition designed to help readers understand Nazi ideology.
“The decision had followed lengthy discussions, emphasizing that the company was preparing a critical edition designed to help readers understand and assess the dangerous ideology presented in Hitler’s writing,” Latinienė said. The publisher argues that the extensive annotations expose propaganda techniques and challenge false historical claims.
Culture Minister expresses reservations about the publication
Lithuanian Culture Minister Lukas Alsys also expressed reservations about the publication when asked for his personal view. He said that the present moment might not be appropriate for releasing such a controversial work, even with critical commentary, and suggested that publishers consider refraining from the project.
At the same time, Alsys acknowledged that historical annotations could contribute to academic research. Experts in the field of history should assess the book following its release to verify whether the included notes appropriately align with modern historical insights.
The minister compared the need for critical examination of Mein Kampf to Lithuania’s approach toward books and artwork produced during the Soviet era. Such material, he noted, holds historical value while still requiring careful scrutiny of the ideology it represents.
Questions about the Lithuanian Mein Kampf release
When is the Lithuanian edition of Mein Kampf scheduled for release?
The approximately 800-page edition is expected to be released in December.
Who prepared the critical annotations for the new edition?
Polish historian and political scientist Eugeniusz Cezary Król prepared more than 1,500 footnotes, historical explanations, and critical annotations for the book.
What role did Arūnas Bubnys play in the project?
Arūnas Bubnys, acting head of Lithuania’s Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, wrote the introduction and supervised the historical accuracy of the translation.
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