Ultra rare book "Bevor Hitler kam" - $3463.64?

[Oberbootsmann]

Hi there. Has someone ever heard of the book "Bevor Hitler kam" (Rudolf von Seebottendorf)?
There are plenty of reprints to be found on the Internet but just one single original copy. And that one sells for almost $3500.00!!!

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Book...x%3D61%26y%3D9

Ok, it has to be taken into consideration that it is a dealer site but it seems that this book is quite rare. It was banned during the NS regime and I guess therefore hasn't survived many copies.

Would like to hear other opinions.

Regards

[Br. James]

Hi Oberbootsmann,

Yes, I have heard of "Before Hitler Came" though I have never read it. As you said, it was banned in Germany shortly after it was published in 1933, and the full title and its translation might shed some light onto why that happened: "Bevor Hitler kam: Urkundlich aus der Frühzeit der Nationalsozialistischen Bewegung" (Before Hitler Came: Documents from the Early Days of the National Socialist Movement). The author, Rudolf Freiherr von Sebottendorf (a pen name), was apparently a follower of the mystical arts of numerology, astrology and alchemy and was a member of the Thule Society and its political party, the DAP, prior to the coming of Hitler in 1919. Shortly after the publication of this book, Hitler had it removed from all outlets, which seems to indicate that it included information about the earliest years of DAP/NSDAP history and may have shown Hitler and his early comrades in a negative light. Again, I've not read the book so I can't be more specific, but I can say that there is an English translation available online for anyone so interested. Whether or not a copy of the first edition of this book is worth the seemingly high cost would be a matter of the extent of one's wallet...which certainly lets me out! Hope this is helpful.

Br. James

[byterock]

I read it like 25+ years ago, in English, A ramble full of mystic nonsense, and conspiracy theory that makes the ones surrounding 9-11 and Roswell seem plausible.

Main banning point was it ties the early Nazis to Jewish financiers.

Modern historians have largely discredited it.

I did see a paper on it a few years ago I will see if I can find it on-line