Revisiting the Nazi Occult: Histories, Realities, Legacies - Ingram Academic — Occult Philosophy

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Revisiting the Nazi Occult: Histories, Realities, Legacies - Ingram Academic

Name: Revisiting the Nazi Occult: Histories, Realities, Legacies - Ingram Academic
Price: 36.95 USD
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ISBN: 9781640140509

✍️ Monica Black, Eric Kurlander

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4.6

(1 review)

$36.95

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This compelling collection fundamentally re-evaluates the intricate, often misunderstood relationship between occult practices and Nazism. Moving beyond simplistic narratives of outright rejection or total embrace, it navigates the complex interplay of esoteric philosophies and political power across three distinct eras. From pre-war influences on Nazi ideologues to the role of alternative beliefs within the Third Reich, and finally to its enduring post-war legacies, this volume offers a nuanced, scholarly reappraisal, promising to invigorate ongoing discussions about this sensitive historical topic.

Black, Monica; , Kurlander, Eric

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Occult Philosophy

Praise for this book

“[I]lluminating and well conceived. . . . [S]ure to stimulate new debates on the topic. . . . [R]eopens the conversation about how the occult in Nazi Germany informs our understanding of cultural and intellectual history in twentieth-century Germany.”

— German Studies Review

🏛 Camden House (NY) 📅 2019 📖 306 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781640140509

Fun Fact

This collection is a masterful and essential intervention into a historically charged subject. It skillfully navigates the sensationalism often surrounding the Nazi occult, offering rigorous scholarship that avoids both credulity and dismissal. While those seeking lurid tales of magical Nazi rituals might be disappointed, serious historians and students of esoteric traditions will find an invaluable resource here. It sets a new standard for nuanced inquiry, re-establishing this fascinating intersection as a legitimate, complex field of study within modern history.

📝 Description: Revisiting the Nazi Occult: Histories, Realities, Legacies - Ingram Academic

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. CONTRIBUTORS: Monica Black; Jeff Hayton; Oded Heilbronner; Eric Kurlander; Fabian Link and J. Laurence Hare; Anna Lux; Perry Myers; John Ondrovcik; Michael E. O'Sullivan; Jared Poley; Uwe Schellinger, Andreas Anton, and Michael T. Schetsche; Peter Staudenmaier. Monica Black is Associate Professor and Associate Head of the Department of History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Eric Kurlander is J. Ollie Edmunds Chair and Professor of Modern European History at Stetson University.

📑 What's inside

Introduction
Esoteric Alternatives in Imperial Germany: Science, Spirit, and the Modern Occult Revival
An Elite Class of Thinkers: Monism between Science and the Spiritual in Wilhelmine Germany
Max Hoelz Haunts the Vogtland: The Visible and the Invisible in Germany, 1914-21
Siegfried Kracauer, Spirit, and the Soul of Weimar Germany
Pseudoscience Reconsidered: SS Research and the Archaeology of Haithabu
Hitler's Supernatural Sciences: Astrology, Anthroposophy, and World Ice Theory in the Third Reich
Pragmatic Occultism in the Military History of the Third Reich
Disruptive Potential: Therese Neumann of Konnersreuth, National Socialism, and Democracy
A Messiah after Hitler, and His Miracles: Bruno Gröning and Popular Apocalypticism in Early West German History
On All Channels: Hans Bender, the Supernatural, and the Mass Media
Beyond Good and Evil: Nazis and the Supernatural in Video Games
The Wewelsburg Effect: Nazi Myth and Paganism in Postwar European Popular Music
Notes on Contributors
Index

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This academic collection provides a robust, scholarly evaluation of the intricate relationship between occultism and Nazism across three distinct eras. It successfully challenges binary narratives of total embrace or rejection, offering a sophisticated analysis of esoteric influences on political power. However, readers seeking popular, sensationalist accounts of 'Nazi magic' or those uncomfortable with dense academic prose will find this text inaccessible and dry. It is strictly for those prepared to engage with complex historical realities rather than myths. The work demands intellectual effort, rewarding careful study with a clearer picture of history's contested threads.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Scholars and serious enthusiasts of esoteric history will find this collection indispensable for its nuanced reappraisal of the controversial link between occult practices and Nazism. It moves beyond simplistic narratives to explore how pre-war influences shaped ideologues, how alternative beliefs functioned within the Third Reich, and how these themes persist post-war. By unraveling these dark threads, the book offers a necessary, scholarly correction to popular misconceptions. Readers seeking a deep, rigorous understanding of how political power intersects with esoteric philosophy will gain significant insight into this sensitive historical topic, making it vital for those committed to accurate historical discourse rather than sensationalism.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're a serious student of history, an occult scholar, or simply fascinated by the shadowy intersections of power and belief, this book is for you. It challenges preconceived notions and offers a robust, academic perspective on a profoundly controversial subject.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This academic collection provides a robust, scholarly evaluation of the intricate relationship between occultism and Nazism across three distinct eras. It successfully challenges binary narratives of total embrace or rejection, offering a sophisticated analysis of esoteric influences on political power. However, readers seeking popular, sensationalist accounts of 'Nazi magic' or those uncomfortable with dense academic prose will find this text inaccessible and dry. It is strictly for those prepared to engage with complex historical realities rather than myths. The work demands intellectual effort, rewarding careful study with a clearer picture of history's contested threads.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, it explicitly avoids such simplistic conclusions. Instead, it meticulously examines how esoteric ideas influenced various aspects of Nazism, from its origins to its ideology, without claiming universal adherence or direct control by occult practices.

The book is structured into three main chronological sections: the period leading up to 1933, the duration of the Third Reich itself, and the post-1945 legacies and interpretations of these historical connections.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Early Esoteric Influences

Explore how various esoteric philosophies and burgeoning occult movements shaped the intellectual landscape of Germany from the late 19th century through 1933. This section meticulously details the ideas and figures that captivated both future Nazi leaders and ordinary citizens, laying a complex groundwork often overlooked in mainstream historical accounts of the period.

Occult in the Third Reich

Delve into how alternative spiritual beliefs subtly yet significantly informed Nazism's ideological framework, political machinations, and cultural expressions during its ascent and reign. This analysis moves beyond superficial claims, examining the deeper, often contradictory, ways occult thought permeated elements of the regime's self-conception and public persona.

Enduring Occult Legacies

Trace the lasting impact and evolving interpretations of Nazism's relationship with the occult into the post-war era. This final section investigates both the continuities of certain ideas and the significant disjunctures in how these connections have been understood and debated, offering a critical look at the historical and cultural afterlife of these dark theories.

📜 Historical context

The role of the occult in Nazism has been a contentious academic battleground, oscillating between claims of direct causation and outright denial. This work enters a tradition where early post-war scholarship often linked occultism directly to Nazi irrationality, while more recent views have downplayed or dismissed such connections. This volume seeks to forge a new path, re-energizing the debate with fresh scholarship.

📚 Glossary

Occultism
Esoteric Philosophies
Third Reich

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might our understanding of historical movements change if we more deeply consider the 'fringe' beliefs and spiritual currents prevalent at the time?
Reflect on how the human desire for esoteric knowledge can be manipulated or co-opted by political ideologies, drawing parallels if any, with contemporary movements.
Considering the ongoing debates, what responsibilities do scholars have when addressing sensitive and often sensationalized topics like the Nazi occult?