GETTY Mein Kampf and Adolf Hitler in 1930

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Copyright on the infamous book - whose title means "My Struggle" - is due to expire next year and German and French editions are already being planned. Publishers will have free reign to print the far-right diatribe as the seven-decade anniversary of its author's death has now passed, meaning the Bavarian State, which owned the copyright, can no longer control where it is disseminated. Hitler dictated the lengthy tome during his time in prison in 1923 while leader of the Nazi party.

GETTY Mein Kampf translates as My Struggle in German

It set out in sickening detail his hatred of the Jews, which eventually led to the Holocaust and the slaughter of tens of millions of innocent people. Although a variety of translations are available in English, French-language copies haven't been published since 1934 and the book was banned in Germany after the Nazis were defeated in the Second World War.

The government-funded Institute of Contemporary History in Munich will oversee the publication of a highly-controversial German language version. Fayard, a French publishing company, also plans to print an annotated version of the manuscript.

GETTY Adolf Hitler addressing a Nazi crowd in 1933

GETTY Fears have been raised that Mein Kampf could enter the bestseller charts

It said in a statement: "The publication of this book central to the history of the 20th century will be accompanied by a critical analysis established by a scientific committee of French and foreign historians." Fears have been raised that Mein Kampf could enter the bestseller charts.

Germans are permitted to own the book, which originally came out in two volumes in 1925 and 1926 and was printed 12million times, but reprinting after 1945 was banned. Officials from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution have defended the move, saying modern neo-Nazis share little in common with Hitler, aside from his anti-semitism. The body insists that the memory of the Third Reich plays a "much smaller role than even 20 years ago" in fascist groups operating in Germany today.