"Mein Kampf" and Co.: Kaufland reaps Shitstorm because of right-wing extremist offers

Created: 10/10/2022 3:18 p.m

By: Sina Alonso Garcia

Until recently still available in the Kaufland online shop: editions of “Mein Kampf”.

In the meantime, the supermarket chain has banned this and other far-right titles from its range.

© Imago/Norbert Schulz/Twitter/Leo Schneider (photomontage BW24)

The supermarket chain Kaufland has long been criticized for selling magazines and books with right-wing extremist content.

The debate escalated over the weekend.

Neckarsulm - It is not the first time that Kaufland has been criticized for questionable journalistic offers.

For some time now, customers have been looking at right-wing extremist magazines in Kaufland branches and are appalled at "Nazi support".

Last weekend, the debate boiled up again on Twitter.

The initial trigger was a complaint from a user who had complained about products with the Antifa logo in the online shop.

Kaufland thanked them for the tip and removed them from the range without further ado.

Books with right-wing extremist content - even "Mein Kampf" in the original version - remained on offer.

The fact that Kaufland on the one hand removed offers from the left spectrum, but at the same time continued to tolerate a whole range of titles from the right spectrum, met with incomprehension from numerous Twitter users.

The user Leo Schneider, co-chairman of the Jusos Hamburg Nord, insulted the supermarket chain as a "Nazi shop" and showed in a thread which right-wing extremist titles are still available for purchase at Kaufland.

"Here you can buy everything that an NPD functionary's well-stocked bookshelf in 'rustic oak' has to offer," he wrote - and as proof linked appropriate titles from right-wing extremist publishers, writings by Holocaust deniers, AfD and NPD officials.

In addition to the NPD politician Rolf Kosiek and the Holocaust denier David Irving, the new right-wing publicist Karlheinz Weißmann was also among the authors.

Kaufland: Thousands of Twitter users are outraged by right-wing extremist titles

The list of names and books that Schneider names in his tweet is long.

"In conclusion, we could say that Kaufland's online shop is filled to the brim with right-wing and right-wing extremist literature of the most disgusting kind and nobody at Kaufland seems to mind," concluded Schneider.

The response to his research is huge.

More than 12,600 users gave the post a like, more than 3,600 shared it (as of October 10, 1:13 p.m.).

Even before Schneider went viral with his tweet, Kaufland himself had commented on the accusation that Antifa products had to disappear while various right-wing magazines and writings were still being offered.

"We ban extreme products where we can," the statement said.

"It's easier with the marketplace, but we haven't had any success with the magazines so far, despite intensive efforts." One makes use of the right to list such products if one can.

"But sometimes the legislature simply provides that a democracy has to endure certain products (e.g. magazines) because the good of press freedom is higher." The statement continues: "We too condemn extreme points of view and try to avoid that related products are sold by us.”

Kaufland: Research by Leo Schneider gets the snowball rolling

After Schneider's detailed listing, something happened that Kaufland had described as an unsuccessful endeavor shortly beforehand: All of the publications listed suddenly disappeared from the range without further comment.

Schneider, however, is not enough.

He continuously updates the thread for his tweet and mentions other "Nazi stuff" that Kaufland overlooked.

"We can play this game forever," he writes - and links books by AfD politician Alexander Gauland and NSDAP member Otto Strasser.

After less than an hour - as Schneider announced on Twitter - these titles also disappeared from the online platform.

Is the sale of Mein Kampf banned?

It is true that the creation, sale and acquisition of new publications of "Mein Kampf" is prohibited in Germany.

However, antiquarian editions may still be bought and sold.

Annotated versions are also allowed.

While Schneider apparently started a huge snowball with his tweet, Kaufland has been silent so far.

Schneider recommends: "An opinion would now be appropriate." It remains to be seen whether the Nazi booklets will also disappear from the branches in the future.

In previous debates, Kaufland had always referred to freedom of the press and decided "not to censor".

It seems that Schneider has triggered a rethink among those responsible.