Lanz von Liebenfels, Jörg (18741954)
Austrian astrologer and member of the occult underground
preceding the Nazi movement. His Order of New Templars
only admitted members who had satisfied his racist concepts of
Nordic purity. He also founded the Ariosophical Movement,
another occult and anti-Semitic organization.
Born in Vienna July 19, 1874, as Adolf Lanz, he claimed to
be the son of Baron Johannes Lancz de Liebenfels. He circulated
an incorrect birthdate to mislead other astrologers. He became
a novice at a Cistercian monastery but was expelled for
improper behavior. Soon afterward he founded his Order of
New Templars, which claimed divine support for Hilters race
theories and the supremacy of a master race. Lanz advocated
special breeding colonies, or stud farms, for the master race, as
well as the elimination of lesser breeds.
The order used the swastika symbol before it was officially
adopted by the Nazi party, and Hitler met Lanz as early as
1909, when he collected some issues of Lanzs journal Ostara.
Lanz prophesied the success of Hilter as a world figure but
failed to find favor with the Nazis after their 1938 invasion of
Austria. His ideas were certainly used by the Nazis, but Hitler
may have been reluctant to admit their origin. Lanz died April
22, 1954.
Sources
Daim, W. Der Mann, der Hitler die Ideen gab (The man who
gave Hitler the ideas). München Isar Verlag, 1958.
Sklar, Dusty. Gods and Beasts The Nazis and the Occult. New
York Thomas Y. Crowell, 1977.
Webb, Janes. The Occult Establishment. La Salle, Ill. Open
Court, 1976.
