Amsterdam Gallery Owner Escapes Conviction for Selling Books

The owner of an Amsterdam art gallery is breathing a sigh of relief this week, having narrowly escaped conviction for selling a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, which is illegal in The Netherlands. Michiel van Eyck, the owner of the Totalitarian Art Gallery, sold several copies of the book, written by the disgraced German politician while in prison following his failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch in 1923.

Selling the book was made illegal in the The Netherlands to protect the country’s Jewish community from the ideas contained within it but, luckily, the Judge accepted that, in this Internet age, it is already easy to buy or even download the book online, and no-one appears to be taking it very seriously, so, he rejected the prosecutions demands that the book seller be forced to pay a fine of one thousand Euros.

Truth be known, Mein Kampf is a particularly bad book which will forever dispel any lingering suspicions you might have that Adolf was some sort of evil genius arch-manipulator. The Anne Frank diaries are a way better read and I also suspect she could have properly kicked his ass in a cage fight. She would probably have had no problem with Chairman Mao either, I figure he would be out of breath after just a few swings. Stalin, however, would be a different matter, he’s a big fella and the sort of vicious bastard who could beat the crap out of Anne Frank and enjoy it. Would probably rape her too, so, that particular match is probably a bad idea all round.