Case against "Mein Kampf" seller moves forward

In the controversial case about the owner of the Totalitarian Art Gallery in Amsterdam, who kept and sold Adolf Hitler's autobiographical Nazi manifesto 'Mein Kampf', the Public Prosecution Authority (OM) has decided to prosecute Michiel van Eyck. 

The book's contents are hurtful towards Jewish people, and breeds hate, discrimination and violent acts towards the Jewish community, the OM says. In The Netherlands, spreading by selling Mein Kampf is illegal if the seller can reasonably say that it is hurtful, or inciting hate, discrimination and violent acts.

In January, Van Eyck was questioned by the police. He stated that he knew the contents of the book are indeed hateful. The OM says that the gallery owner did not want to give information about the discriminate or factual information inside the book at sale. Police seized any stock of the book still present in the gallery.

The Federative Jewish Netherlands filed a police report against Van Eyck in October of last year for selling the forbidden book in his gallery.

Earlier this year, Van Eyck said that the book is a historic artifact, which suits his collection of despotic memorabilia from Nazi Germany, Maoist Communist China, and the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin. At the time, he insisted the law should be changed, and was happy to go to court to fight for his cause. "I will go on to the judge", he said.

On the 26th of August, the court in Amsterdam will have a pre-trial review, in preparation for the court session.