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Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any me... more Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any meaningful relationship between Nazism and the occult. This article paints a different picture. First, virtually all Nazi leaders appeared to recognize the widespread popularity of occult practices and "border-scientific" thinking across the German population and within the Nazi Party itself. Second, although Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery, Joseph Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry, and even Heinrich Himmler's Gestapo consistently advocated anti-occult policies or pro-enlightenment campaigns during the first six years of the Third Reich, most Nazi officials worked to differentiate between popular or commercial occultism, which they deemed ideologically "sectarian," and acceptable "scientific" occultism, which was generally tolerated and intermittently sponsored by the regime. Third, the regime's reticence to eradicate even popular or commercial occultism-indicated by the fact that the environment for professional debunkers became more hostile with the outbreak of World War II--reflected the popularity of supernatural and border-scientific thinking within the German population. Indeed, whereas some Nazis intervened on the side of occultism for reasons of public opinion, many did so because they truly believed in its "scientific" value.

History Compass, 2006

Middle class Protestants and Catholics constituted the largest single constituency in the Third R... more Middle class Protestants and Catholics constituted the largest single constituency in the Third Reich, inclusive of Austria. Yet few historians in recent years have examined the role of bourgeois resistance. Rather, contemporary scholarship tends to emphasize the willingness of the German middle classes to accommodate National Socialism (Anpassung), focusing almost exclusively on working class, women's and minority opposition (Resistenz or Verweigerung). The purpose of this article is to offer some fruitful lines of inquiry that might help us to reassess the role of the German and Austrian middle classes in resisting the Third Reich.

European Review of History-revue Europeenne D Histoire, 2002

and reaching its apex in the 1980s, the functionalist argument returned to Franz Neumann's early ... more and reaching its apex in the 1980s, the functionalist argument returned to Franz Neumann's early characterization of the Third Reich as a chaotic, decentralized Behemoth. 2 Even the most oppressive policies were viewed less as the extension of Hitler's will and more the by-product of competing bureaucracies, changing circumstances and unresolved Party-state conflicts. Admittedly, there were important variations in the functionalist critique of 'totalitarianism theory'. Broszat and Mommsen tended to portray Hitler as a 'weak dictator', who rarely intervened in day-to-day affairs. Ian Kershaw, by contrast, stressed Hitler's charismatic leadership and the fact that his subordinates frequently 'worked towards the Fu¨hrer' without clear directives from above. Whatever their differences, functionalist historians offered a more complex, variegated, less totalitarian vision of the Third Reich. 3 The renewed interest in social history also brought attention to groups that had previously been ignored by scholars of the Third Reich. While a number of Anglo-American scholars introduced the field to women's and gender history, the role of religion -specifically that of Catholics and Protestants -received increased attention on both sides of the Atlantic. 4 To be sure, a more traditional kind of political and diplomatic history continued to emphasize the central role of foreign policy, war, and imperialism. 5 But by the mid-1980s all signs pointed to a new social and political history of nazi Germany, which privileged a combination of domestic political factors, personal and institutional rivalries and 'everyday' history (Alltagsgeschichte) in explaining the Third Reich. 6 2 Martin Broszat, The Hitler State: The Foundation and Development of the Internal Structure of the Third Reich (New York 1981); Hans Mommsen, From Weimar to Auschwitz (Princeton, NJ 1992); Hans

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Scholars have debated the role of the occult in Nazism since it first appeared on the German political landscape in the 1920s. After 1945, a consensus held that occultism -- an ostensibly anti-modern, irrational blend of pseudo-religious and -scientific practices and ideas -- had directly facilitated Nazism's rise. More recently, scholarly debate has denied the occult a role in shaping the Third Reich, emphasizing the Nazis' hostility to esoteric religion and alternative forms of knowledge. Bringing together cutting-edge scholarship on the topic, this volume calls for a fundamental reappraisal of these positions.
The book is divided into three chronological sections. The first, on the period 1890 to 1933, looks at the esoteric philosophies and occult movements that influenced both the leaders of the Nazi movement and ordinary Germans who became its adherents. The second, on the Third Reich in power, explores how the occult and alternative religious belief informed Nazism as an ideological, political, and cultural system. The third looks at Nazism's occult legacies. In emphasizing both continuities and disjunctures, this book promises to re-open and re-energize debate on the occult roots and legacies of Nazism, and with it our understanding of German cultural and intellectual history over the past century.

Papers by Eric Kurlander

German Studies Review, 2019

The Journal of Modern History, Mar 1, 2020

The Journal of Modern History, Mar 1, 2018

Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any me... more Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any meaningful relationship between Nazism and the occult. This article paints a different picture. First, virtually all Nazi leaders appeared to recognize the widespread popularity of occult practices and "border-scientific" thinking across the German population and within the Nazi Party itself. Second, although Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery, Joseph Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry, and even Heinrich Himmler's Gestapo consistently advocated anti-occult policies or pro-enlightenment campaigns during the first six years of the Third Reich, most Nazi officials worked to differentiate between popular or commercial occultism, which they deemed ideologically "sectarian," and acceptable "scientific" occultism, which was generally tolerated and intermittently sponsored by the regime. Third, the regime's reticence to eradicate even popular or commercial occultism-indicated by the fact that the environment for professional debunkers became more hostile with the outbreak of World War II--reflected the popularity of supernatural and border-scientific thinking within the German population. Indeed, whereas some Nazis intervened on the side of occultism for reasons of public opinion, many did so because they truly believed in its "scientific" value.

History Compass, 2006

Middle class Protestants and Catholics constituted the largest single constituency in the Third R... more Middle class Protestants and Catholics constituted the largest single constituency in the Third Reich, inclusive of Austria. Yet few historians in recent years have examined the role of bourgeois resistance. Rather, contemporary scholarship tends to emphasize the willingness of the German middle classes to accommodate National Socialism (Anpassung), focusing almost exclusively on working class, women's and minority opposition (Resistenz or Verweigerung). The purpose of this article is to offer some fruitful lines of inquiry that might help us to reassess the role of the German and Austrian middle classes in resisting the Third Reich.

European Review of History-revue Europeenne D Histoire, 2002

and reaching its apex in the 1980s, the functionalist argument returned to Franz Neumann's early ... more and reaching its apex in the 1980s, the functionalist argument returned to Franz Neumann's early characterization of the Third Reich as a chaotic, decentralized Behemoth. 2 Even the most oppressive policies were viewed less as the extension of Hitler's will and more the by-product of competing bureaucracies, changing circumstances and unresolved Party-state conflicts. Admittedly, there were important variations in the functionalist critique of 'totalitarianism theory'. Broszat and Mommsen tended to portray Hitler as a 'weak dictator', who rarely intervened in day-to-day affairs. Ian Kershaw, by contrast, stressed Hitler's charismatic leadership and the fact that his subordinates frequently 'worked towards the Fu¨hrer' without clear directives from above. Whatever their differences, functionalist historians offered a more complex, variegated, less totalitarian vision of the Third Reich. 3 The renewed interest in social history also brought attention to groups that had previously been ignored by scholars of the Third Reich. While a number of Anglo-American scholars introduced the field to women's and gender history, the role of religion -specifically that of Catholics and Protestants -received increased attention on both sides of the Atlantic. 4 To be sure, a more traditional kind of political and diplomatic history continued to emphasize the central role of foreign policy, war, and imperialism. 5 But by the mid-1980s all signs pointed to a new social and political history of nazi Germany, which privileged a combination of domestic political factors, personal and institutional rivalries and 'everyday' history (Alltagsgeschichte) in explaining the Third Reich. 6 2 Martin Broszat, The Hitler State: The Foundation and Development of the Internal Structure of the Third Reich (New York 1981); Hans Mommsen, From Weimar to Auschwitz (Princeton, NJ 1992); Hans

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Share on email Email a friend or librarian
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Scholars have debated the role of the occult in Nazism since it first appeared on the German political landscape in the 1920s. After 1945, a consensus held that occultism -- an ostensibly anti-modern, irrational blend of pseudo-religious and -scientific practices and ideas -- had directly facilitated Nazism's rise. More recently, scholarly debate has denied the occult a role in shaping the Third Reich, emphasizing the Nazis' hostility to esoteric religion and alternative forms of knowledge. Bringing together cutting-edge scholarship on the topic, this volume calls for a fundamental reappraisal of these positions.
The book is divided into three chronological sections. The first, on the period 1890 to 1933, looks at the esoteric philosophies and occult movements that influenced both the leaders of the Nazi movement and ordinary Germans who became its adherents. The second, on the Third Reich in power, explores how the occult and alternative religious belief informed Nazism as an ideological, political, and cultural system. The third looks at Nazism's occult legacies. In emphasizing both continuities and disjunctures, this book promises to re-open and re-energize debate on the occult roots and legacies of Nazism, and with it our understanding of German cultural and intellectual history over the past century.

German Studies Review, 2019

The Journal of Modern History, Mar 1, 2020

The Journal of Modern History, Mar 1, 2018

This book is the definitive history of the supernatural in Nazi Germany, exploring the occult ide... more This book is the definitive history of the supernatural in Nazi Germany, exploring the occult ideas, esoteric sciences, and pagan religions touted by the Third Reich in the service of power. The Nazi fascination with the occult is legendary, yet today it is often dismissed as Himmler's personal obsession or wildly overstated for its novelty. Preposterous though it was, however, supernatural thinking was inextricable from the Nazi project. The regime enlisted astrology and the paranormal, paganism, Indo-Aryan mythology, witchcraft, miracle weapons, and the lost kingdom of Atlantis in reimagining German politics and society and recasting German science and religion. This eye-opening history reveals how the Third Reich's relationship to the supernatural was far from straightforward. Even as popular occultism and superstition were intermittently rooted out, suppressed, and outlawed, the Nazis drew upon a wide variety of occult practices and esoteric sciences to gain power, shape propaganda and policy, and pursue their dreams of racial utopia and empire.

Hitler's Monsters, 2017

This chapter explores the Nazis' interest in Germanic paganism, witchcraft, Luciferianism, an... more This chapter explores the Nazis' interest in Germanic paganism, witchcraft, Luciferianism, and Eastern spirituality in their attempt to find a suitable Ario-Germanic alternative to Christianity. The Third Reich embraced a range of pagan, esoteric, and Indo-Aryan religious doctrines that buttressed its racial, political, and ideological goals. That is why Nazism posed a different threat to Christianity than secular liberalism or atheist Marxism. Nazi religiosity was a ‘fluid and incoherent thing which expresses itself in several different forms’. Part of a shared supernatural imaginary, these various religious strains were to some extent embraced and exploited by the Third Reich in the process of building spiritual consensus across a diverse Nazi Party and an even more eclectic German population.

<p>This chapter evaluates the influence of the supernatural imaginary on the Third Reich&#3... more <p>This chapter evaluates the influence of the supernatural imaginary on the Third Reich's conception of foreign policy, investment in fanciful weaponry, and use of astrology, divination, clairvoyance, and telepathy in prosecuting the war. The Second World War was neither caused nor directed primarily by occult designs. However, many aspects of the war were influenced or determined by folklore, border science, and the broader Nazi supernatural imaginary. Rather than rely on a practical evaluation of risks and rewards, Hitler frequently tapped into his own intuition in making foreign-policy decisions and appealed to the German people's collective unconscious in selling his aggressive policies. Abetting Hitler's faith-based foreign policy, the Propaganda Ministry and Foreign Office employed professional astrologers and diviners to produce wartime propaganda aimed at both the Allies and the German public. Finally, the Third Reich utilized occultism and border science to gather military intelligence, search for enemy battleships, and train Nazi soldiers.</p>

Hitler's Monsters, 2017

This chapter examines the regime's policies toward occultists in the early to middle years of... more This chapter examines the regime's policies toward occultists in the early to middle years of the Third Reich, including ‘Hitler's Magicians' Controversy’ — a debate over whether to allow professional anti-occultists to debunk ‘magic’ and occultism. When the regime worked to repress or ‘coordinate’ esoteric groups, it had more to do with controlling than eliminating occult ideas. Indeed, like border scientists generally, many Nazis worked carefully to distinguish between commercial and popular occultism on the one hand and ‘scientific’ occultism on the other. While the Nazis indicated considerable hostility toward commercial occultism, practitioners of the scientific variety enjoyed remarkable latitude, even sponsorship, by the Third Reich. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the ‘Hess Action’ against the occult and its longer term consequences.

Dictators and Autocrats, 2021

Did Hitler "seize" power? Or did he achieve it through mostly democratic means? Was Hitler a "str... more Did Hitler "seize" power? Or did he achieve it through mostly democratic means? Was Hitler a "strong" or "weak" dictator? In presiding over the Nazi dictatorship, what role was played by the "carrot," namely propaganda, economic growth, and plebiscitary government, versus the "stick," including Gestapo surveillance, police terror, and the camps? These are some of the central questions that historians, political scientists, and sociologists have debated regarding the nature of Hitler's dictatorship. I will address these questions by providing, first, a brief analytical framework summarizing the existing historiography. We then take up the central theme of Hitler's so-called seizure of power, weighing the role of violence versus popular (democratic) support as well as the influence of broader social, economic, and political circumstances. Next, we turn to the nature of Hitler's leadership in the Third Reich, examining the interplay of ideology and pragmatism; planning and circumstances; top-down decision-making and bottom-up pressures from important constituencies, including party members and state officials, the army and industry, workers and (lower) middle classes, and the churches. In conclusion, we reflect briefly on how Hitler's rise to power and dictatorship anticipates the ways in which autocracy has developed over the course of the past century, whether in terms of goals, instrumental force, or popular support. Throughout this analysis, I want to emphasize four factors that help to explain Hitler's rise from relative obscurity to arguably the most powerful right-wing autocrat in modern history: (1) his charisma and oratorical skill; (2) his focus on achieving and maintaining popularity through at least quasi-democratic means; (3) his conviction that a party (state) could only succeed with a hierarchical organization under an undisputed leader (Führer); and (4) his ruthless pragmatism, including a willingness not only to employ violence but also to compromise when the situation required it. Combined with specific circumstances endemic to interwar Germany, an emphasis on these four factors, incorporating multiple scholarly interpretations, 2 ADOLF HITLER

The Journal of Modern History, 2020

Localism, Landscape, and the Ambiguities of Place, 2007

Central European History, 2015

Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any me... more Over the past two decades, a number of scholars have called into question the existence of any meaningful relationship between Nazism and the occult. This article paints a different picture. First, virtually all Nazi leaders appeared to recognize the widespread popularity of occult practices and “border-scientific” thinking across the German population and within the Nazi Party itself. Second, although Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery, Joseph Goebbels’s Propaganda Ministry, and even Heinrich Himmler'sGestapoconsistently advocated anti-occult policies or pro-enlightenment campaigns during the first six years of the Third Reich, most Nazi officials worked to differentiate between popular or commercial occultism, which they deemed ideologically “sectarian,” and acceptable “scientific” occultism, which was generally tolerated and intermittently sponsored by the regime. Third, the regime's reticence to eradicate even popular or commercial occultism—indicated by the fact that ...

The English Historical Review, 2015

Liberal Imperialism in Europe

Central European History, 2009

century, the impact of the 1848–49 revolutions, or the dynasty’s stance as the “German Question” ... more century, the impact of the 1848–49 revolutions, or the dynasty’s stance as the “German Question” reached a crisis point. Equally, while a thorough study, this work retains rather the structure and style of a dissertation, and it would certainly have benefited from more stringent editing. Nevertheless, it constitutes an impressive, worthwhile study and one full of contemporary resonance to boot: enormous personal wealth accumulated via a virtual private monopoly over the provision of a public service is evidently not just a modern way of doing business.