Julian Strube on Public Fascination with “Nazi Occultism”

The public does not take any serious interest and competent research on early National Socialism and esotericism, though are yet often easily accepting of arguments in sensationalist articles or media about the topic. Both left-wing and right-wing Christian conspiracists in this case are ignorant of the consequences of their approach. Recent studies still continue to reproduce, as Julian Strube states, “ill-informed clichés on the basis of a deeply problematic treatment of sources and secondary literature” (Doesn’t Occultism Lead Straight to Fascism?, “Hermes Explains,” 231). If people do not consult the actual sources of Fascists and Nazis for their queries on the basis that it is propaganda, and therefore they fear they may be susceptible to Fascism, then why should one readily-accept bad research about the relation of National Socialism to “the occult?” An honest answer fails to be given. He is right, that occultism forms an integral part to so-called “modernity” and to European history. Instead of understanding this topic insightfully and honestly, it has been constantly treated as the Other of European culture, a deviance from Europe’s “proper civilization” Julian Strube explains. “It might be comforting to take the guest membership of a future Nazi leader in the Thule Society as evidence of the “occult” character of National Socialism, rather than think, for instance, about the role of the Christian Churches in Nazi Germany. It might be intriguing to highlight the fact that Hitler once read a book about magic rather than think about the influences on his thinking in more complex and perhaps uncomforting ways. (…) this does not help to understand the emergence and success of National Socialism. Quite the contrary, it distorts our understanding of European history. . .This is relevant in the light of present-day developments that more than ever require us to provide nuanced, well-informed historical scholarship and not rely on “fake sources” and clichés that, essentially, are a reproduction of sensationalist and neo-Nazi narratives of the post-war era.” (ibid. p. 31)