The Witches of the Reich: The Dimension of Female Mysticism in Nazi Ideology

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Published: Jun 6, 2025
Updated: 2025-06-06
Keywords:
Mysticism National Socialism Occultism Philosophy Esotericism
Dionysis Asimiadis
Department of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Abstract

The article investigates the rich, but also ambivalent phenomenon of female mysticism within the context of the Nazi ideology. The Third Reich showed two positions towards women who were interested in the sector or the spiritual area. On the one hand, some forms of mysticism were incorporated into the nationalist and racial narrative of the regime; on the other hand, women who were linked to independent spiritual movements were often looked at with a good deal of skepticism, and at times, persecuted. Of particular interest is the position of Heinrich Himmler, who wanted to ‘renew’ the medieval witch-hunt as proof of a ‘lost’ Germanic tradition, while the regime prohibited other activities like astrology and theosophy. From a philosophical point of view, the article aims to explain how these policies are a manifestation of a larger fear of the Nazi regime towards independent female spirituality and its possibilities of knowledge, freedom, and power.

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