Hitler and the Occult
| Hitler and the Occult | |
|---|---|
| Narrated by | David Ackroyd |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Bram Roos Phyllis Cannon |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Release | |
Hitler and the Occult, produced by Bram Roos and Phyllis Cannon, and narrated by actor David Ackroyd, is a 50-minute History Channel documentary regarding Nazi occultism.
Television and DVD release
The documentary was originally shown on television and subsequently released on DVD on February 8, 2000 by A&E Home Video. It is in colour and in the English language. It is part of the In Search of History series.
Synopsis
The Nazi Party reportedly grew out of several occult groups that sprang up in the late 19th century as a reaction to the advanced materialism and technology of the era. These groups spoke of the coming of a new Messiah that would save Germany. Hitler developed the notion that perhaps he was the chosen one to save the German people.
The political parties created in the wake of the country's defeat in World War I combined nationalistic sentiment and occultist practices to forge an image of a superior German people. Hitler's imprisonment after the failed 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch would make him a national hero for his defense of a strong German state, convincing him that he was the Messiah who could save Germany.
Hitler appropriated Christian symbolism, such as the Spear of Destiny and the Holy Grail for his own purposes. He adopted the swastika from the Hindu/Sanskrit symbol for the Sun. The original symbol turns clockwise. The Nazi one turns backwards. The four arms of the original Hindu swastika represented the Four Vedas. It decorates most Hindu homes and temples.
At the conclusion, author Dusty Sklar points out that Hitler's suicide happened during the night of April 30 – May 1, known as Walpurgis Night. The narrator continues: "With Hitler gone, it was as if a spell had been broken". Then Joachim von Ribbentrop's infamous statement of his continued subservience to Hitler at the Nuremberg Trials is taken as final evidence of Hitler's "occult power": ("Even with all I know, if in this cell Hitler should come to me and say 'Do this!', I would still do it.").