Poznan Court Punishes Seller of Hitler Book

A Poznan court has sentenced a bookshop owner to a fine of 7500 zloty (1800 euro) for selling Hitler's "Mein Kampf" over the internet.

Hitler's infamous book, first published in 1925, is banned from being sold in Poland, likewise in Germany. Written while the future dictator was languishing in prison, the weighty tome - which overflows with racist rhetoric - has gone down as one of the most controversial books in history.

The trial revealed that the bookshop owner had been selling the proscribed volume for five months, and that he had been making a tidy profit.

Whether or not the book should be illegal in Poland remains a question for debate. It is freely available in many countries, including England, the U.S. Sweden and Holland. It is considered a key historical document.

However, many have noted that the book is not especially engaging on a literary level. Even Mussolini derided the volume as "a boring tome that I have never been able to read," adding that Hitler's rants were "little more than commonplace clichés."