SS Ahnenerbe Otto Rahn - Lucifer’s Court

[addo]

I have just bought this 1st edition book from 1937 with dust jacket by Otto Rahn (SS Ahnenerbe, Allgemeine-SS, member 276 208)



CHRONOLOGY 1904-1939
18 Feb 1904 Otto Rahn born, Michelstadt. Parents Karl & Clara (nee Hamburger)
1910-1916 Junior school at Bigen
1916-21 Secondary school at GrieBen
1922 obtains Baccalaureat
1924 obtains Bachelor in Philology and History
1930 Rahn begins his European travels (Paris, Provence, Switzerland,
Catalonia, Italy)
1931 Rahn visits French Pyrenees. Visits "Spion" in Pyrenees with Himmler and Abetz
1932 Rahn leads a Polaires expedition in Pyrenees
13.12.33 Rahn joins the German Writers Association
1934 publishes "Kreuzzug gegen Gral" (Crusade against the Grail)
1935 appointed to personal staff of Heinrich Himmler
29.2.36 Rahn joins Allgemeine-SS, member 276 208
1936 Rahn visits Iceland with 20 men
1937 publishes "Luzifers Hofgesind. Eine Reise zu denguten Gelstern Europa" (Lucifer's Court in Europe; Rahn sent back to Languedoc (Montsegur), says he will return in 1939. Time of alleged Corbieres visit?
20.4.37 promoted to sub-lieutenant (Untersturmfuhrer)
Sep-Dec1937 military service for "disciplinary reasons" at Oberbayern Regiment, Dachau
24.1.38 Rahn's Certificate of Racial Origin requested for his SS-dossier but never materialises
11.9.38 promoted to lieutenant (Obersturmfuhrer)
end 1938 Rahn to Buchenwald for two months tour of duty
1939 Rahn invited Wiligut and Himmler to his wedding
28.2.39 submits letter of resignation to Karl Wolff
13.3.39 Rahn disappears on Wilder Kaiser, Kufstein, Tyrol
17.3.39 Rahn's resignation from SS is granted

[addo]

some more info on Otto Rahn's history within SS

The publication of the Crusade book in 1933 persuaded SS leader Heinrich Himmler to invite its author, Otto Rahn (1904-1939), to work for the SS as a folklorist. As the book under review here also does in part, that work developed the thesis that the doctrines of the medieval Cathars of Provence were encoded into Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach’s 13th-century version of the Grail legend. Rahn later became a member of the Ahnenerbe (“ancestral heritage”) bureau of the SS, in whose employ he finished Lucifer’s Court. Otto Rahn died during a winter hike in 1939

Himmler thought highly enough of this book to order a special edition of 5,000 leather-bound copies to be printed during the war; for distribution, presumably, to select SS personnel.

Wish i could have one of these 5000 special editions, but i think that this one i got will do being that is complete with dust jacket which is rare to find!

[addo]

Otto Rahn during SS ceremony

and you got to like that sweater with double SS runes

[addo]

Thank you for looking, i know this is not SS medal SS dagger or something else fancy but for the understanding of the SS as a organization in my opinion this is very important book!



Please feel free to leave any comment about this man and his work during his period within SS Ahnenerbe




Thank you again
Ado

[Ultra Seven]

Otto Rahn and the Quest for the Grail

I recently read "Otto Rahn and the Quest for the Grail: The Amazing Life of the Real Indiana Jones" by Nigel Graddon. The book is well researched even though the writing style wasn't terribly polished. There was quite a bit of interesting detail about about Rahn's life and the people around him. I found it especially interesting that the author had interviewed Wiligut's adopted Granddaughter and included fascinating details about Wiligut himself. The book is a worthwhile read for those interested in this aspect of SS history.

Regards

-Sean

[Ultra Seven]

Oh yes.... and Aldo, that's a really cool edition of his book!

-Sean

[addo]

Thank you Sean

Here is a nice documentary about Otto Rahn called "The Secret Glory"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1prq...e_gdata_player

[addo]

Does anyone have information if Otto Rahn was present at the SS organized event at Quedlinburg with Himmler in 1936 ???

[Ultra Seven]

I thumbed through my book and didn't see any reference of Rahn specifically being in Quedlinburg in 36. Here's a time line I came up with:

February - Accepted into the SS
March - Promoted to Himmlers personal staff
April - Himmler personally contacts Rahn about researching genealogy
June - Journeys to Iceland on studies commisioned by SS. Was in Reykholt on the solstice.
October - In Switzerland investigating genealogy at Himmlers direction

So, I think Quedlinburg would have been in early July (2nd?). If he was in Iceland on 6/21 seems a tight schedule for him in Quedlinburg 10-14 days later. But still possible.

Regards.

Sean

[addo]

I thumbed through my book and didn't see any reference of Rahn specifically being in Quedlinburg in 36. Here's a time line I came up with:

February - Accepted into the SS
March - Promoted to Himmlers personal staff
April - Himmler personally contacts Rahn about researching genealogy
June - Journeys to Iceland on studies commisioned by SS. Was in Reykholt on the solstice.
October - In Switzerland investigating genealogy at Himmlers direction

So, I think Quedlinburg would have been in early July (2nd?). If he was in Iceland on 6/21 seems a tight schedule for him in Quedlinburg 10-14 days later. But still possible.

Regar

Sean

Nice research job Sean, Thank you

Interested that Himmler did not have him at the Quedlinburg event I always though that he was part of inner core of the SS but Himmler did know 3 years in advance that Rahn will no longer be a part of SS.

Best Regards
Ado

[Arran]

What was his reason for resignation from the SS?

[addo]

What was his reason for resignation from the SS?

For being Homo!

[Arran]

For being Homo!

Really? He was just married (to a woman, I presume), and I can hardly imagine that he cited this as the reason in his resignation letter. Or was it discovered leading to him being forced to resign? Perhaps his death was in fact a suicide committed to avoid the scandal...

[addo]

Really? He was just married (to a woman, I presume), and I can hardly imagine that he cited this as the reason in his resignation letter. Or was it discovered leading to him being forced to resign? Perhaps his death was in fact a suicide committed to avoid the scandal...

Yes I believe that he was forced to resign in 1939 and then he went to live inside the cave and never came out!

[Ultra Seven]

Otto Rahn was never married. The woman, Asta Baeschlin, in a 1994 interview claimed she was never engaged to Rahn. And indeed at that time in 1938 she was married to another man. I myself think it was a ill conceived ploy on Rahn's part to get back on Himmler's good side. Rahn had been repeatedly reprimanded for homosexual behavior. He was assigned to Dachau twice as disciplinary measure.

There is a bit if intrigue surrounding his resignation. On the face of it, it's easy to assume he was forced to resign because of his behavior. And it may be that he had become to great an embarrassment. Yet there are also tantalizing entires in Himmler's diary referring to 'Gral' at the same time as Rahn's last letters to him.

A few weeks after his resignation Rahn was traveled into the mountains. It's said he fell asleep in the snow and froze to death. Rahn's death was ruled a suicide. He was reinstated into the SS and placed on the list of deceased leaders. His death notice in Das Schwarzes Korp reads

"During a blizzard in the mountains the SS-Oberstrumführer Otto Rahn died tragically. We regret that, and lost with him a decent SS-member and the creator of marvelous historic and scientific works"

The notice was signed by Carl Wolff.

Rahn's personal issues aside, by all accounts he was a decent man and notable scholar.

-Sean