Gallery Title
Gallery Title
Mein Kampf
Accession Number NWHRM : 2927
Description
Large folio book of "Mein Kampf", bound in vellum with title and edges all in gold leaf and with bronze fastening. This book was once the property of Gaulieter Lohse of Schleswig-Holstein, one of the most Nazi provinces of Germany. It was bartered for with American soldiers by the donor, Captain (later Colonel) Freeland
Read MoreMein Kampf
Ian Henry Freeland was commissioned Second Lieutenant at the Royal Military College in September 1932 and retired as Lieutenant General in April 1968. This trophy of his experiences in the Second World War originally belonged to the leader of the Gau (region) of Schleswig-Holstein on the borders of Denmark and Germany. Adolf Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle) while in prison for leading the Munich Putsch, a failed attempt to overthrow the civil authorities. The police easily broke up the march and arrested the ringleaders. Hitler did not waste the opportunity offered by months of imprisonment. He set out his philosophy and intentions were he ever to gain power. 'Mein Kampf' was published and some people warmed to its message while others dismissed it. When Hitler did come to power through elections in 1933, nobody could have said they weren't warned. The elaborate construction of this volume demonstrates the reverence in which dedicated Nazis held their Fuhrer's teachings.
