Goebbels’ estate sues Random House for diary royalties

Random House is being sued by the estate of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, after the publisher used extensive extracts from the Nazi’s diaries in the book ‘Goebbels’, by Peter Longerich, professor of modern German history at Royal Holloway, University of London, and refused to pay royalties. The publisher initially agreed to pay 1% but later reneged on the agreement, saying it was wrong to pay the estate of a Nazi war criminal.

We are convinced that no money should go to a war criminal.

Rainer Dresen, general counsel of Random House Germany, in an interview with the Guardian

The case against Random House was brought by Cordula Schacht – a lawyer whose own father, Hjalmar Schacht, was Hitler’s minister of economics. The biography was first published in German in 2010, and is due to come out in English in May. Other publishers have paid royalties to use extracts from the diaries. The case is due to be heard in Munich on 23 April.

I did not want to believe that anyone can claim royalties for Goebbels’ words.

Mr Dresen, interviewed by the Guardian, recalling his surprise at being contacted by Schacht

Arts Goebbels