The Role of Occultism and Ariosophical Thought of the Thule Society in Formation of National Socialism Ideology in Germany

Abstract

Occultism and the Ariosophic thought of the Thule Society had significantly influenced the formation of National Socialism ideology in Germany. The or-
ganization became the occult- Ariosophical order, whose theosophical aspect led to pathology in Germany. Thule contributed to the transformation of the German view on the political process which was taking place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its historical background constituted the accomplishments in such fields as philosophy, technology, mathematics, and natural sciences. In this respect the role of the achievements of such thinkers as Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Darwin, or works of art such as Richard Wagner’s compositions, cannot be overestimated. This expanding knowledge was employed for racial-ethnical identification of people. At the same time, Vienna and Munich were among the centres of spiritual cult. The German Order, the Order of the New Templars, and the Thule Society were established there. In that ensuing situation, there was conceived the ground for national identification with the super nation which preserved purity of Arian race. The organizations in question propagated such kind of knowledge which constituted rich reference source for the occultism and Ariosophy seekers, and later also for the National Socialists. It was in this mysteri-
ous and hermetic circle, where the symbol of broken cross – the Hakenkreuz – was first introduced. The members of these organizations were obliged to marry only within the Arian race. Such an ideology aimed at reviving the old Teutonic tradition by evoking the Arian national identity in the public imagination. The creative thought of the circle formed the image of the New Man whose physical and psychological traits were exclusively attributed to Germans. The Thule Society, which promoted people like Dietrich Eckhardt, Rudolf Hess, Alfred Rosenberg, or Hans Frank, greatly contributed to emerging of totalitarianism in Germany and in Europe after 1933, when the National Socialists came to power. Drawing from the old-Germanic customs and the cult of tradition, the Thule evoked medial racism and anti-Semitism. Later, on this basis, the prophecy concerning the messiah of the 20th century was created. For the Germans this expected messiah was Hitler.