Thienemann Verlag, one of Germany's oldest publishers of children's books, has announced it will reprint Otfried Preußler's children's classic 'The Little Witch' with all instances of the 'n-word' removed from the text.

Founded in Stuttgart in 1849, Thienemann Verlag decided not to have the disputed words replaced, but deleted altogether.

"We will scour all of our classics," Spiegel Online quoted Klaus Willenberg from Thienemann Verlag as saying. The publishers said it was necessary for the book to reflect the linguistic and political changes taking place in the world. Other books will be reviewed by the German publisher to ensure that politically incorrect words are found and removed.

Otfried Preußler's works have been translated into 50 languages. In its collection of six hundred titles, 'The Little Witch' (Die kleine Hexe) is among Thienemann Verlag's best-known books. Written in 1957, the fairy tale chronicles a 127 year-old 'bad witch' determined to eventually turn good.

• A Permanent Economic Emergency