Andorran Government Refuses for Now to Remove Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' from the National Library

The Government of Andorra will keep Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in the National Library's catalogue, despite controversy surrounding the police seizure of a copy that was being sold at a bookshop in the country.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mònica Bonell, has defended Andorra's commitment to the rule of law and freedom of expression, confirming that the controversial work will remain available for public consultation.

According to RTVA, Bonell has declined to comment on the police intervention until judicial authorities issue a ruling, while making clear that the Government has no intention of removing the book from the national library collection.

"Andorra is a state governed by the rule of law, where freedom of expression prevails, and this book is included in the catalogue of works held by the public library," Bonell stated.

The minister explained that the copy is kept in the library's reserve collection and that anyone interested can request access to it.

Police Removed the Book from an Andorran Bookshop

The controversy began when an off-duty police officer noticed a copy of Mein Kampf being offered for sale at a bookshop in Andorra.

The officer alerted colleagues who were on duty over the weekend. According to police explanations, the fact that it was an unabridged edition without critical commentary or historical contextualisation raised concerns among senior officers.

Following those concerns, the police decided to remove the copy from the shop.

The matter is now before the courts, which will determine whether the intervention was legally justified and whether the book can be sold again.

Bonell has insisted that the Government should wait for the judicial decision before assessing the officers' actions.

"The police have acted, and now we will wait to see what the judicial authorities decide," the minister said.

Publishers and Cultural Figures Question the Police Intervention

The book's removal has prompted criticism from several representatives of Andorra's cultural sector, who argue that access to historical documents should be preserved even when their contents are deeply controversial.

Publisher Jan Arimany described the police intervention as "extremely serious" and argued that works such as Mein Kampf should remain available for reading and sale because they help explain the circumstances that enabled the rise of Nazism.

According to Arimany, the book is a historical document that provides insight into how Hitler attracted support from sections of German society and how totalitarian ideologies developed.

He believes that studying such texts offers valuable tools for identifying extremist rhetoric and preventing the mistakes of the past from being repeated.

"History Cannot Be Erased"

A similar position has been expressed by Oliver Vergés, a writer, journalist and publisher at Anem Editors, who emphasised the historical importance of the work.

Vergés acknowledges that the book is controversial, both because of its author and its contents, but maintains that it remains a significant historical source.

He also argues that the text can help readers understand contemporary political developments, particularly the growing visibility of movements advocating authoritarian or totalitarian ideas.

Meanwhile, Marta Domènech, director of Andorra Recerca i Innovació, has argued that strengthening education and historical knowledge is a more effective way to confront extremist ideologies.

"It is more important to spend time explaining what happened than to hide a book," Domènech said.

She believes that banning or concealing controversial works does not necessarily prevent radicalisation and instead advocates teaching their content and historical context, particularly to children and teenagers.

Courts to Decide Whether the Book Can Be Sold

The controversy has sparked a wider debate about the limits of freedom of expression, the sale of Nazi propaganda and the historical value of works associated with totalitarianism.

The Government's decision to retain the book at the National Library contrasts with the police seizure of a copy offered for sale, two distinct situations that have brought the work into the centre of public debate.

While the Culture Minister supports keeping the text available for consultation, some members of the publishing sector argue that its commercial sale should also be permitted.

The judicial ruling will be decisive in determining whether the police seizure complied with the law, particularly regarding the sale of an unabridged edition without critical annotations.

Until then, Mein Kampf will remain part of Andorra's public library collection and will be accessible upon request.