National Socialism and occultism

The Third Reich occultism or "Nazi occultism" is the term used to refer to a series of mystic-religious currents developed under the influence of National Socialism. It also refers to the direct influence various undercurrents in the development of National Socialism, or, in particular, beliefs and spiritual interests of the National Socialist leaders. In politically correct media it is depicted in a way that creates negative impressions.

Definition

The National Socialist ideology suggests a deeper esoteric meaning involving the preservation and teaching of the ancient traditions of Germanic mysticism and the pursuit of knowledge about the origins of the Aryan race. It is known that high-ranking National Socialist officials such as Heinrich Himmler, Richard Walther Darre, Rudolf Hess and Alfred Rosenberg, had a great interest in the occult. Likewise, the religious beliefs of Adolf Hitler has been the subject of much speculation at times involving various esoteric currents as Ariosophy of Guido von List and astrology. Some scholars claim that the interests of Hitler and other National Socialists in paganism explains the SS occult leanings. Many saw the SS was an example of a pagan revival.

Popularity in the entertainment media

Especially strongly is this image presented in entertainment media. The subject of National Socialist occultism comes over and over again in various novels, films, and computer games. Typical for this are the first and third Indiana Jones films. Another example is the computer game "Return to Castle Wolfenstein".

Esoteric Hitlerism

Esoteric Hitlerism was developed after WWII and is associated with the writings of Savitri Devi, Miguel Serrano, and others.

Hermann Rauschning

"Since Hitler’s National Socialism has been regarded as “the ultimate in evil,” linking Hitlerism with black magic and Satanism is a logical development. [...] Much of this can be traced to a piece of wartime propaganda, Hitler Speaks, by Hermann Rauschning, who claimed to be one of Hitler’s “inner circle.” In this book there are many references to Hitler’s dealing with black magic and dark powers, and to the presence of an early NSDAP member, Marthe Kuntzel, who was also both a theosophist and a leading German follower of the British occultist Aleister Crowley.[1] Rauchning was taken seriously by historians until quite recently. Mark Weber writes that in 1983 a Swiss historian exposed the hoax".

Kerry R. Bolton

Kerry R. Bolton in the conclusion on an article on the "Occult Reich" states that

"Hitler ridiculed “superstition” but recognized the role it played on the psyche, and rejected the efficacy of prophecies and of astrology.[75] The National Socialist party, so far from being neo-heathen, as is often contended, while reviving many old Germanic customs and festivals, from the start had a wide Christian base, particularly of Lutherans, and many Lutheran pastors were officers of the SA. They held early party meetings in their parsonages. Hitler became disillusioned with the failure of the Christian denominations to unite as a German national church, however he also remained dismissive of attempts at reviving paganism.[76] The latter remained a peripheral influence within an inner core of the SS.

Himmler sought to create the SS as a neo-heathen order with its own marriage, birth and death ceremonies outside the Christian churches, and with SS officers serving as the priests.[77] The Feast of Midsummer was substituted for Christmas. However, these measures that Himmler attempted to impose were so unpopular and disregarded among the SS that by November 1940 he was obliged to abrogate previous punishments for disobeying regulations on religion. Himmler was also unsuccessful in weaning his SS away from Christianity. “Two thirds of the Allgemeine–SS remained in the Church – 54.2 percent Evangelicals and 23.7 percent Catholics.”[78]"

See also

• Ahnenerbe
• Armanism and Ariosophy
• Esoteric Hitlerism
• Landig Group
• Runes
• The Bell
• Thule Society
• The Catholic Church and the Holocaust
• Völkisch movement
• Third Reich Occultism after 1945

Personalities

• Guido von List
• Karl Maria Wiligut
• Miguel Serrano
• Otto Rahn
• Savitri Devi

External links

• The Occult Roots of Nazism: Book Review
• Religion, Mysticism and the Myth of the “Occult Reich”
• Saturday Afternoon: Roots of the myth of National-Socialism's "occult roots"