On the Myth that Hitler dictated Mein Kampf to Rudolf Heß
It is a common misconception that whilst in Landsberg prison (April 1st 1924 – Dec 20th 1924) for the failed Munich Putsch of November 8-9th 1923, Hitler dictated Mein Kampf (Vol. I: July 28th 1925 and Vol. II: December 11th 1926) to Rudolf Heß, and that even Mein Kampf wasn’t his work alone, but a collaborative effort with his fellow political prisoners, to diminish Hitler and his achievements and capabilities in any small and petty way they can. This is a complete fabrication, and one also erroneously pushed by David Irving, who has never read Mein Kampf, states he never wrote it himself, that it was a collaboration, not from his own mind, and thus not authentic.[1] The evidence to the contrary is rather strong and has been known since at least to modern historians since 2009.
As expected, orthodox establishment historians have repeated this lie for decades based on the memoirs of prison guard Otto Lurker, until relatively recently as Volker Ullrich points out in 2013[2]:
“It is a myth that Hitler often dictated passages until the small hours of the morning to Hess, who, serving as his secretary, typed them up. Many of Hitler’s biographers have simply passed on this legend from the memoirs of prison guard Otto Lurker.63 In reality, Hitler typed the manuscript himself, using the “hunt-and-peck” system, after he had outlined his thoughts by hand on sheets of paper.”64 In a letter from late July, Hess described his role in the composition of Mein Kampf. “Hitler regularly reads to me from his book,” Hess wrote. “Whenever a chapter is done, he takes it to me. He explains it to me and we discuss the odd point.”65
As stated above, Hitler did discuss the odd point Heß after the completion of each chapter, but he also asked him to proofread the final draft with him, but that never seemed to have happened.[3]
In 2020 Robert Gellately later confirmed this, writing[4]:
“Hitler did not dictate it to his later secretary Rudolf Hess, as often claimed in the literature, for he typed it himself…”
Notes
1] David Irving on Mein Kampf, Hitler’s Second Book & Table Talk, An Occasional Comment, November 20th 2017
2] Ullrich, Volker; Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939, Vol. I., 2016, p. 174 (Chapter VII: Landsbery Prison and Mein Kampf). This was first published in German in 2013. Note 63 (p. 803) on page 174 of the English translation reads: “Otto Lurker, Hitler hinter Festungsmauern: Ein Bild aus triiben Tagen, Berlin, 1933, p. 56. For a critical perspective on this legend see Pléckinger, Geschichte eines Buches, p. 122. Also Florian Beierl and Othmar Plockinger, “Neue Dokumente zu Hitlers Buch ‘Mein Kampf,” in Vierteljahrshefte fiir Zeitgeschichte, 57 (2009), pp. 261-95 (in particular pp. 273, 278f.).”
Note 64 (p. 804) on page 174 of the English translation reads: “See the details provided by Ilse Hess on 28 Dec. 1952 and 29 June 1965 in Werner Maser, Adolf Hitlers “Mein Kampf”: Geschichte, Ausziige, Kommentare, 9th edition, Esslingen, 2001, p. 29. Further, Olaf Rose (ed.), Julius Schaub: In Hitlers Schatten, Stegen, 2005, p. 59. On Hitler’s working methods see Beierl and Pléckinger, “Neue Dokumente,” pp. 276ff. Both Rudolf Hess and prison guard Franz Hemmrich bear witness to Hitler setting out his initial thoughts by hand. Pléckinger, Geschichte eines Buches, p. 153; Franz Hemmrich’s memoirs, pp. 35f.; IfZ Miinchen, ED 153.”
Note 65 (p. 804) on page 174 of the English translation reads: “Hess, Briefe, p. 347 (dated 24 July 1924). See also ibid., p. 349 (dated 17 Aug. 1924): “My daily routine begins as follows—at 5 a.m., I get up and make cups of tea for Hitler (who is writing his book) and myself.”
3] Ibid. Ullrich writes “By early August, Hitler hoped he would be finished writing in a few days and he solemnly invited Hess to proofread the final draft with him.66 But that never seems to have happened. Hitler kept postponing finishing the manuscript. In late August, he was still working on it constantly and did not wish to be disturbed.”67” (Ullrich, Volker; Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939, Vol. I., 2016, p. 174 (Chapter VII: Landsbery Prison and Mein Kampf). Note 66 reads: “Ibid., p. 347 (dated 4 Aug. 1924). In his letter to Heinrich Heim dated 16 July 1924 Hess announced that Hitler’s book should be appearing in the autumn. BA BerlinLichterfelde, NS 6/71.” and Note 67 reads: “Hermann Fobke to Eduard Heinze, a National Socialist in Stettin, 23 Aug. 1924; Plockinger, Geschichte eines Buches, p. 55. See also Hermann Fobke to Adalbert Volck, 29 July 1924; Jochmann, Nationalsozialismus und Revolution, doc. 33, p. 124.”)
4] Gellately, Robert; Hitler’s True Believers, 2020, p. 31 (Chapter I: How Hitler Found National Socialist Ideas). Note 99 (p. 391) on page 31 reads: “See Florian Beierl and Othmar Plöckinger, “Neue Dokumente zu Hitlers Buch ‘Mein Kampf,” VfZ (2009): 261-96; also Plöckinger, Geschichte eines Buches, 85; 121.
