Mein Kampf

In 1935, the Eher publishing house presented Hitler with the idea of giving a specially printed edition of Mein Kampf to every newly wed couple on the day of their wedding. This edition was published with a leather spine and would contain an extra presentation page in the front with blanks for the names of bride and groom and the signature of the mayor of the city, town or village. The book is in very nice condition. The binding is tight and all pages are intact. The standard editions of Mein Kampf were published in the same size as a standard German bible. The reason for that was that Hitler hoped that his book would eventually replace the bible in German households!

Hitler dictated this book to his secretary, Rudolf Hess while imprisoned in Landsberg after the failed 1923 revolution. The first editions, published in 1925 (Band I or Volume One) and 1926 (Band II or Volume Two) were published in separate volumes. With only a few exceptions (special editions) all subsequent Third Reich editions (1933 to 1945) contained both volumes combined in one book. Very few copies of the first editions have survived. When his book first came out it was not a success, few people cared about the book in 1925 which would almost have had a much longer title. The original title Hitler chose was “Viereinhalb Jahre [des Kampfes] gegen Lüge, Dummheit und Feigheit” (Four and a Half Years [of Struggle] against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice). His Nazi publisher, Max Amann, decided this title was too complicated and had it shortened to Mein Kampf (simply “My Struggle”). Before Hitler became Reichs Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Mein Kampf sold very slowly; but in 1933 alone 1.5 million copies were sold.