Originally published in 1938, The Poisonous Mushroom coloring book uses a string of anti-Semitic troupes to teach children that Jewish people “abuse little boys and girls.”
The book was used as evidence during Streicher’s Nuremberg Trial, after which he was executed.
“This book brands the Jew as a persecutor of the labor class, as a race defiler, devil in human form, a poisonous mushroom, and a murderer,” according to a record of the trial. “This particular book instructed school children to recognize the Jew by caricature of his physical features… and that the Jewish Bible permits all crimes.
“The Defendant Streicher’s periodical Der Stürmer… in particular, went to such extremes as to publish the statement that Jews at the ritual celebration of their Passover slaughtered Christians.”
Other books by Heinrich Himmler—the second most powerful person in the Third Reich—were also available to buy. Books by Alfred Rosenberg, one of the principle ideologues of the Nazi Party, were also available for purchase.
Timothy McVeigh, who killed 168 people after bombing a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, was said to have kept pages of the novel in a plastic bag in his car, as well as selling copies of it at gun shows.
“We believe that providing access to written speech is important, including books that some may find objectionable, though we take concerns from the Holocaust Educational Trust seriously and are listening to its feedback.
“Additionally, beyond our proactive measures, we also promptly investigate all concerns raised.”
