Indiana Jones’ race to find the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail before the Nazis may be the realm of fiction, but in reality, there was a Nazi organization tasked with finding relics. However, this organization, called Ahnenerbe, went far beyond just finding religious artifacts.
Heinrich Himmler Establishes The Ahnenerbe
The Ahnenerbe, which translates as “ancestral heritage,” was founded in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Wirth, and Richard Walter Darre. Himmler, the head of the SS, had a fascination with occult research and sought to establish a new interpretation of the past. Himmler incorporated the Ahnenerbe into the Schutzstaffel (SS), an elite paramilitary organization founded by Hitler.
The Nazis’ Pseudoscientific Aryan Race Theory
The Ahnenerbe’s purpose was to find “evidence” linking German ancestry to the Aryan master race, who were believed to have come from long-lost advanced civilizations. They conducted research that included archaeological expeditions, witchcraft, psychic research, and macabre human experiments. German occultists believed the German people were the purest representatives of the Aryan race, and Himmler manipulated scientific research through the Ahnenerbe to support this pseudoscientific theory.
Searching for Ancient Artefacts
Nazi archaeologists, anthropologists, musicologists, and linguists were sent on various expeditions throughout the world to find artifacts and ruins that could be attributed to the supremacy of the Aryans. Ahnenerbe co-founder Hermann Wirth combed academic literature for signs that the earliest writing system was developed by the Nordics. Films made by the Ahnenerbe became a tool for spreading propaganda on the “correct” history, where all civilizations stemmed from a Nordic Aryan race.
Focus on Iceland and Tibet
Certain countries were seen as epicenters of ancient Aryan activity. Iceland, with its Viking and Nordic history, was considered important. Ahnenerbe expeditions to Iceland searched for evidence of the legendary Germanic civilization of Thule and advanced weaponry mentioned in Medieval texts. The true cradle of the Aryan race was believed to be in the Himalayas, where survivors of the last icy cataclysm were said to have taken shelter. An expedition to Tibet collected details about Tibetan religion, attempted to track down the Yeti, and explored the region as a potential base for an invasion of British-controlled India.
Ahnenerbe Propaganda and Human Experiments
Information from the Ahnenerbe’s expeditions was disseminated through academic articles and propaganda magazines like Germanien. Germanic artifacts found in occupied European countries were used as justification for Nazi invasion and conquest. Meanwhile, Ahnenerbe researchers conducted vile medical experiments on the “lower races,” particularly Jews in concentration camps, under the Institute for Scientific Research for Military Purposes. The most notorious experiments were conducted by Dr. Sigmund Rascher, freezing prisoners and subjecting them to cruel acts.
Criticism and Destruction
The Ahnenerbe faced criticism from figures like Alfred Rosenberg, who conducted archaeological excavations independently of the organization. Many academics working for the Ahnenerbe resented the occult interest in their research. In the end, the organization was not able to achieve its goal of replacing Christianity with its own pagan religion. Once the Allies took control, many Ahnenerbe documents were destroyed, and its personnel were tried at Nuremberg. While some escaped punishment, the Ahnenerbe’s activities came to an end.
The story of the Ahnenerbe provides a chilling glimpse into the pseudo-science and propaganda machinery used by the Nazi regime to support its abhorrent ideology. It serves as a reminder of the importance of critically analyzing historical narratives and the dangerous consequences of twisting science and history to fit a particular agenda.