2. Heinrich Himmler
If you’ve ever watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, the idea that the Nazis might have looked for the Ark of the Covenant may seem purely fictional. However, Heinrich Himmler and the SS did have a fascination with the occult. Himmler even established a new branch, the Ahnenerbe.
While the Ahnenerbe was ostensibly used for Aryan propaganda—such as proof that the German race was superior to all others—it quickly became Himmler’s tool for investigating mysticism. He authorized an expedition to Tibet to research several occult theories involving the region, such as the existence of Hyperborea-Thule. Some Germans believed that this mythic land was the cradle of civilization where the Aryan race first formed.
As Hitler had publicly denounced occultism to the German people, Himmler kept his interests out of the public eye. However, he did have a close adviser, 66-year-old Karl Maria Wiligut, who supposedly had extensive knowledge of the occult. Wiligut claimed to be a sort of medium who could recall knowledge from the beginning of time.
But Wiligut was a sick man, leading Himmler to desperately try to keep him alive to get information from him. For the rest of Himmler’s life, he stayed in touch with Wiligut, despite Hitler’s denouncement of the occult.
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