For the village of Wewelsburg see Village of Wewelsburg

Wewelsburg Castle - seen from the Alme valley

Arial photo of the complete village

Wewelsburg (pronounced [ˈveːvəlsˌbʊɐ̯k]) is a Renaissance castle located in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the village of Wewelsburg (the same name as the castle) which is a quarter of the city Büren, Westphalia, in district of Paderborn in the Alme Valley. The castle has the outline of a triangle (aerial photo). Since 1934 it was used by the SS under Heinrich Himmler and was to be expanded to the central SS-cult-site ^[1]. Since 1941 plans were developed to enlarge it to the so-called "Center of the World" ^[2]. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... The Alme is a 60 km long river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... Coat of arms Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DEA Capital Düsseldorf Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers (CDU) Governing parties CDU / FDP Votes in Bundesrat 6 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  34,084 km² (13,160 sq mi) Population 18,033,000... Büren is a town and a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. ... Mouth of the Alme. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... Himmler redirects here. ...

Early history

Location of Wewelsburg Castle in Germany

In its current form the Wewelsburg was built from 1603 to 1609 as secondary residence for the prince-bishops of Paderborn namely Fürstbischof Dietrich von Fürstenberg ^[3] (also see Bishopric of Paderborn) ^[4]. Its location is near what was then believed to be the site of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Image File history File links Lage_der_Stadt_Büren_in_Deutschland. ... Image File history File links Lage_der_Stadt_Büren_in_Deutschland. ... Prince-Bishop was the title given bishops who held secular powers, beside their inherent clerical power. ... The Diocese of Paderborn was founded in 799 by Pope Leo III. In the early years it was subordinated to the bishop of Würzburg. ... Combatants Germanic tribes (Cherusci, Marsi, Chatti, Bructeri and Chauci) Roman Empire Commanders Arminius Publius Quinctilius Varus † Strength 10,000 to 18,000 3 Roman legions, 3 alae and 6 auxiliary cohorts, probably 20,000 - 25,000 Casualties Unknown; but far less than Roman losses 15,000-20,000 The Battle...

Predecessor buildings

Predecessor buildings existed: One used during the 9th and 10th century against the Hun invasions named Wifilisburg, another one was built in 1123 by earl Friedrich von Arnsberg. After his death in 1124 the building was demolished by farmers who were oppressed by him. In 1301 earl von Waldeck sold the Wewelsburg to the prince-bishop of Paderborn. A document about this acquisition proves that two fortress-like buildings stood on the hill: the "Bürensche-" and the "Waldecksche-house". Many historians consider the Huns (meaning person in Mongolian language) the first Mongolian and Turkic people mentioned in European history. ...

The Castle in possession of the prince-bishops of Paderborn

From 1301 to 1589 the prince-bishops of Paderborn assigned the estate to miscellaneous liege lords ^[5].

The masonry of both predecessor-buildings was integrated in the now existing triangular Renaissance castle which was built from 1603 to 1609. This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ...

The Wewelsburg was destroyed several times during its history, during the Thirty Years' War in 1646 ^[6] by the occupation of Swedish troops ^[7] - namely by the army under the Swedish general Carl Gustav Wrangel. Since 1654 the widely destroyed castle was rebuilt by prince-bishop Theodor Adolf von der Recke and his successor Ferdinand von Fürstenberg. He carried out some architectonic changes - the three towers of the castle got their baroque domes ^[8]. Combatants Sweden  Bohemia Denmark-Norway[1] Dutch Republic France Scotland England Saxony  Holy Roman Empire Catholic League Austria Bavaria Spain Commanders Frederick V Buckingham Leven Gustav II Adolf â€  Johan Baner Cardinal Richelieu Louis II de Bourbon Vicomte de Turenne Christian IV of Denmark Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar Johann Georg I...

From 1589 to 1821 the castle was place of residence of a bursary officer ^[9]. Two witch trials took place in the Wewelsburg in 1631 (a former inquisition room is placed in the basement next to the east tower) ^[10]. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) the basement rooms were probably used as military prison. Till the end of the prince-episcopalian times in 1802 prison cells existed in a dungeon in the basement of the west tower ^[11]. For the 1563–1570 war, see Northern Seven Years War. ...

The Castle in possession of the Prussian state

In 1802, the castle fell to the ownership of the Prussian state (Secularization). On 11 January 1815 - as a result of a lightning strike - the tower fell victim to a fire that gutted the North Tower. Only the outer walls remained. From 1832 to 1934 a rectory existed in the eastern part of the south-wing of the castle. For other uses, see Prussia (disambiguation). ... This article is about secularization. ...

The Castle in possession of the district of Büren

In 1924 ^[12] the castle became the property of the district of Büren. It was changed into a cultural center. In 1925, the castle had been renovated into a local museum, banquet hall, restaurant and youth hostel ^[13] - at the end of the Twenties the North Tower again proved to be the weak point of the architecture, and had to be supported by guy wires in winter 1932/33. The preservation of the castle was supported by the "Club for the preservation of the Wewelsburg" (Verein zur Erhaltung der Wewelsburg). After 1925 the renovation activities decreased ^[14]. Büren is a town and a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Youth hostel in Rome. ... KVLY-TV mast, which is guy-wire supported. ...

SS History

Introduction

In 1934 SS-leader Heinrich Himmler signed a 100-mark 100-year lease with the Paderborn district, initially intending to renovate and re-design the castle as a "Reich SS Leadership School" ("Reichsführerschule SS") ^[15]. Who called Himmler's attention to the castle is unknown ^[16]. There is speculation that Karl Maria Wiligut consulted him. Wiligut allegedly was inspired by the old westphalian legend of the "Battle at the birch tree" (Schlacht am Birkenbaum). The saga tells about a future "last battle at the birch tree" in which a "huge army from the East" is beaten definitely by the "West". Wiligut supposedly predicted to Himmler that the Wewelsburg would be the "bastion". Himmler expected a big conflict between Asia and Europe. ^[17] Another source reports that the NS district president of the city of Minden von Oyenhausen called Himmlers attention to the Wewelsburg. Nevertheless it is sure that Himmler knew the apocalyptic saga of the "Battle at the birch tree" which takes place in the Wewelsburg region ^[18]. Himmler wanted a castle in the "core-region of Hermann der Cherusker" for the SS. He was seeking for a castle for the purposes of the SS-Rasseamt (SS-race-office) ^[19]. Originally he was interested in Castle Schwalenberg ^[20]. Himmer visited the Wewelsburg for the first time on 3 November 1933. He was impressed by the triangular shape of the castle and the (e.g. in the building of churches unusual) north-south-axis of the castle. On the same day he decided to restore the castle. In January 1934 the voluntary labour service started with the rebuilding work ^[21]. On 22 September 1934 was the ceremonial transfer to Himmler ^[22]. It was to be enlarged to a SS-leader school (SS-Führerschule) ^[23]. In the planned school, besides physical training, a uniform ideological orientation of the leading cadre of the SS was to be realized ^[24]. Courses for SS-officers in pre- and early history, mythology, archeology and art were intended ^[25]. Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. ... This article is about the German word Reich, and in particular to its historical and political implications. ... Karl Maria Wiligut (alias Weisthor) (December 10, 1866 - January 3, 1946) was also known as Himmlers Rasputin. He was born in Vienna in what was then Austria-Hungary. ... For other places named Westphalia, see Westphalia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Minden (disambiguation). ... The Hermannsdenkmal Arminius (also Armin, 18 BC/17 BC - 21 AD) was a chieftain of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. ...

The Wewelsburg SS School

Schooling never occurred. The first castle commandant von Knobelsdorff envisioned a kind of "Nordic Academy" ^[26]. SS-scientists practiced "Germanic applied research" (germanische Zweckforschung) at the castle. Its purpose was the support of the SS race doctrine. Since autumn 1935 the project was called "SS-Schule Haus Wewelsburg" (literally translated: SS-School House Wewelsburg) ^[27] . The castle was a center for the archeological excavations in the region. The fields of activity were:

• pre- and early history (directed by Wilhelm Jordan, he led the excavations in the region)
• medieval history and folklife studies (directed by Karlernst Lasch since March 1935)
• build-up of the "Library of the Schutzstaffel in Wewelsburg" (directed by Dr. Hans Peter des Coudres)
• strengthening of the national socialist world-view in the village of Wewelsburg (directed by Walter Franzius), e.g. a timbered house in the center of the village of Wewelsburg - the "Ottens Hof" - was renovated from 1935 to 1937 and was used as village community center ^[28]. Franzius also fulfilled architectural tasks.

The castle crew consisted of members of the SS branches General SS (Allgemeine SS), police and armed SS ^[29]. Also supporters of a kind of SS esotericism consisting of Germanic mysticism, ancestral cult, worshipping of runes and race doctine worked at the castle ^[30]. It is known that Himmler adapted the idea of the Grail as heathen mystery for the SS ^[31]. There is no historical proof that Himmler wanted a Grails Castle, but the way the SS redesigned the castle referred to certain characters in the Grail-mythos ^[32]: e.g. one of the arranged study rooms was named "Gral" (Grail), another one "König Artus" (King Arthur), further ones "König Heinrich" (King Henry), "Heinrich der Löwe" (Henry the Lion), "Widukind", "Christoph Kolumbus" (Christopher Columbus), "Arier" (Aryan), "Jahrlauf" (run of the year), "Runen" (runes), "Westfalen" (Westphalia), "Deutscher Orden" (Teutonic Order) , "Reichsführerzimmer" (Reichsführer room - Reichsführer-SS was Himmler's title), "Fridericus" (probably referred to Frederick II of Prussia), "tolle Christian" (probably referred to Christian the Younger of Brunswick) and "Deutsche Sprache" (German language). For the furniture and boarding of the rooms oak wood was used. According to contemporary witnesses the rooms were only sparsely furnished. The complete interior decoration was affected by an SS-specific art- and culture-concept. Rune- and swastika-decorations and as Germanic interpreted sense characters were preferential design elements ^[33]. Also guest-, dining- and auditory-rooms, a canteen kitchen and a photo laboratory with an archiv were created. Own tableware decorated with runes and Germanic symbols of salvation was manufactured. On the castle was also Himmler's private weapons collection ^[34]. Grail may refer to: Holy Grail Grail (web browser) The grail community of Pinner, England is a group of Catholic women, who have translated the Psalms in a renowned version. ... Grail may refer to: Holy Grail Grail (web browser) The grail community of Pinner, England is a group of Catholic women, who have translated the Psalms in a renowned version. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... Henry the Lion (statue on his tomb in Brunswick Cathedral). ... Widukind or Wittekind was a Saxon leader, duke of Saxony and one of the heads of the nobility of Westphalia. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Americas after the Vikings. ... A rune can mean a single character in the Runic alphabet as well as an inscription of several runic charcters or symbols. ... For other places named Westphalia, see Westphalia (disambiguation). ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... Frederick II (German: ; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. ... Portrait of Christian of Brunswick-Lüneburg by Jan Anthonisz van Ravesteyn, 1620. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

Since 1939 the castle was equipped with miscellaneous objects of art ^[35]:

• prehistoric objects (mainly arranged by the teaching- and research-community "Das Ahnenerbe")
• objects of past eras
• works of contemporary sculptors and painters (mainly NS-typical art, e.g. works from Karl Diebitsch, Wolfgang Willrich, and Hans Lohbeck)

In 1934 the eastern castle bridge was build and the castle moat was lowered ^[36]. In 1935 in the ground floor of the North Tower a smithy was arranged in which the wrought-iron interior decoration for the castle was manufactured ^[37]. From 1934 to 1938 the west- and south-wing was rebuilt; between 1936 and 1938 mainly the east-wing was rebuilt. As first new building the "guard-building" (Wachgebäude) was put up next to the castle ^[38] in 1937. Since 1982 the historical documentation "Wewelsburg 1933-1945" is placed here. Next to the guard-building a SS-sentry lodge and a small circular location (Rondell) is placed. Next to the guard-building an SS-cadre-building (SS-Stabsgebäude) existed ^[39]. The North Tower was firmed and rebuilt between 1938 and 1943 ^[40]. Emblem Founded by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darré on July 1, 1935, as Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte‚ Deutsches Ahnenerbe´ e. ...

The first commandant of the castle ("Burghauptmann von Wewelsburg") was Obersturmbannführer (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel) Manfred von Knobelsdorff (since August 1934 ^[41]). He was affectionated to Karl Maria Wiligut's religious theories. The opinion of other SS-scientists about Wiligut were absolute negative. Von Knobelsdorff was succeeded by Siegfried Taubert on 30 January 1938. Because Taubert was consigned to various other tasks he was absent from the castle for longer periods ^[42].

So called "SS-marriage-consecrations" (SS-Eheweihen) took place at the castle ^[43].

Since 1936 Himmler (who was often present at the castle) wanted more and more to expand the Wewelsburg to be a representative and ideological centre of the SS Order ^[44]. For financing the project Himmler founded in 1936 the "Gesellschaft zur Förderung und Pflege deutscher Kulturdenkmäler e.V." (association for the advancement and maintenance of German cultural relics (registered association)) and assigned the association as building developer. In contrast to the SS the association was allowed to receive donations and loans. Till 1943 the project cost 15 million Reichsmark ^[45]. In 1939 Himmler enacted a forbiddance to publish the castle ^[46]. A 100 Reichsmark banknote from Germany of 1935 (http://www. ...

After the Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst FAD (volutary labour service) the Reichsarbeitsdienst RAD (Reich Labour Service) carried out the modifications of the castle. In 1938 the RAD was relocated to the "Westwall" (Siegfried Line) ^[47]. Between 1939 and 1943 prisoners from the Sachsenhausen and Niederhagen concentration camps were used as labourers to perform much of the construction work on Wewelsburg, under the design of architect Hermann Bartels^[48]. Due to a decree of 13 Januar 1943 all building projects which were unimportant for the war - including the Wewelsburg - had to be stopped ^[49]. Map of the Siegfried line The original Siegfried line (Siegfriedstellung) was a line of defensive forts and tank defenses built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916-1917 in northern France during World War I. However, in English, Siegfried line more commonly refers to the similar World... Prisoners of Sachsenhausen, 19 Dec 1938 Sachsenhausen (IPA: ) was a concentration camp in Germany, operating between 1936 and 1950. ...

In 1938 after the Reichskristallnacht 17 jews ^[50] from the 10 km away Salzkotten were shut in the dungeon in the basement of the west tower before their further transport to the Buchenwald concentration camp ^[51]. Kristallnacht, also known as Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht and in English as The Night of Broken Glass, was a massive nationwide pogrom in Germany on the night of November 9, 1938 (including early hours of the following day). ... Position of Salzkotten in Germany Salzkotten is a town in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the district Paderborn. ... Gate with the words Jedem das Seine (literally, “to each his own”, but figuratively “everyone gets what he deserves”) Forced laborers in Buchenwald; (Elie Wiesel is 2nd row, 7th from left). ...

Any recipient of one of Himmler's Totenkopfringe (English "Death's head rings") was to arrange to have the ring returned to the Castle upon his death. Those rings were stored in the castle. The whereabouts of the approximately 11,500 rings after the Second World War is unclear. In the middle of the Thirties Himmler had a private safe mounted in the basement of the west tower. Only the commandant of the castle knew about it. Also the whereabouts of its content after the Second World War is unclear ^[52]. The Totenkopfring (English Deaths head ring), officially the SS-Ehrenring (Honour Ring), was an award of Heinrich Himmlers Schutzstaffel (SS). ...

SS-future plans

Himmler's plans included making it the "center of the new world" ("Zentrum der neuen Welt") following the "final victory" ^[53]. The monumental estate was never realized only detailed plans and models exist. The installation of a 15 to 18-meter-high wall in the shape of a three-quater circle ^[54] with 18 towers including the actual castle area centred on the North Tower of the castle, 860 m in diameter, was planned. The real purpose of the project was never clearly defined ^[55]. Inside of this castle area buildings were planned for the exclusive purposes of the Reichsführung-SS (Reich leadership SS). The main road of an SS village was also to be centered on the North Tower of the castle with a diameter of 1270 m. This road was to be connected with three radial roads and gates with the castle area. The residential area was to be placed in the north-west, the center of the village in the north and the SS-barracks in the west of the castle area; between the barracks and village a villa colony for higher SS-leaders; in the south-west farmsteads. In the architectural plans from 1941 the estate had the shape of a spear pointing towards the north; the 2 km long access avenue with four tree rows ^[56] road looks like a spear shaft with an access to the Reichsautobahn (freeway) Rhynern-Kassel in the south (see architectural drawing). The plan from 1944 shows the castle as the top of a triangular estate surrounded by further buildings (see another drawing and model from 1944). The plans also included a "hall of the High Court of the SS" (Saal des Hohen Gerichtes der SS)^[57], streets, parkways, magnificent buildings ^[58], a dam with a power plant, freeway accesses and an airport ^[59]. From 1941 on (after Hitler's successfull military campaigns against Poland and France) the architects called the complex the "Center of the World". It was to be finished within twenty years. The complex was to be a center of the "kind accordant" religion (artgemäße Religion) and a representative estate for the SS-Führerkorps (SS leader corps) ^[60]. If the plans had been realized, the entire village of Wewelsburg and adjacent villages would have disappeared. The population was to be resettled. The valley was to be flooded ^[61]. 250 million Reichsmark were budgeted for the estate ^[62]. A 100 Reichsmark banknote from Germany of 1935 (http://www. ...

Description of the North Tower

Initial SS Schematics for redesigning the North Tower

Inside the North Tower two mythologic designed rooms were created (1938-1943): Image File history File links 1941WewelsburgSchematics. ... Image File history File links 1941WewelsburgSchematics. ...

The "Obergruppenführersaal" (English: Hall of Supreme Generals) and the "vault" (Gruft). Their ceilings were cast in concrete and faced with natural stone. On the upper floors a further hall was planned. The axis of this tower was to be the actual "Center of the World" (Mittelpunkt der Welt). A preparation for an eternal flame in the vault, a swastika ornament in its zenith and a sun wheel embedded in the floor of the "Obergruppenführersaal" lie on this axis. Both redesigned rooms were never used. Nothing is known about the plans for designated ceremonies in the tower ^[63].

• The "vault"

Where primary a cistern was a vault after the model of Mycenaean domed tombs was hewn into the rock which possibly was to serve for some kind of commemoration of the dead. The room is unfinished. The floor was lowered 4.80 meters ^[64]. The fundament of the tower was firmed with concrete ^[65]. In the middle of the vault probably a bowl with an eternal flame was planned. In the middle of the floor a gas pipe is embedded. Around the presumed place for the eternal flame at the wall twelve pedestals are placed. Their meaning is unknown. Above the pedestals wall niches existed ^[66]. In the zenith of the vault a swastika (which ends run out in an ornamental way) is walled in. The swastika (Hakenkreuz) was understood as "the symbol of the creating, acting life" (das Symbol des schaffenden, wirkenden Lebens) and as "race emblem of Germanism" (Rasseabzeichen des Germanentums)^[67]. The vault has special acoustics and illumination. (Photos of the vault: 1, 2)

• The "Obergruppenführersaal" (Hall of Supreme Generals)

On the ground floor the "Obergruppenführersaal" (literally translated: hall of the Obergruppenführer (the original highest ranking SS-generals)), a hall with twelve columns joined by a groined vault, twelve window- and door-niches and eight longitudinal windows was created (see photos of the room: 1, 2). The room was almost finished. The rebuilding work stopped in 1943 ^[68]. Assumedly it was to serve as a representative hall for the SS-Obergruppenführer. In the center of the marbled whitish/grayish floor a dark green sun wheel (Sonnenrad) is embedded (see photo). The axis of the sun wheel consisted of a circular plate of pure gold, which was to symbolize the center of the castle and thus the entire "Germanic world empire" ^[69]. After the Second World War the ornament was called the "Black Sun". It is not known if the SS had a special name for the ornament nor if they attributed a special meaning to it. Anyway the sun wheel is significant for the nature religious bias of the SS-cult. Today it is used as a symbol in Odinism and Neo-Nazism and in occult currents of Irminenschaft or Armanenschaft-inspired esotericism. The inscription above the entrance "Mein Haus wird ein Haus des Gebetes genannt" (My house is called a house of prayer) reminds of the prince-episcopalian chapel which was placed in the ground floor of the tower originally ^[70][71]. The Sun Wheel at night as seen from across Paradise Bay. ... For other uses, see Black Sun. ... The Mjolnir is one of the primary symbols of Germanic neopaganism. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Irminenschaft (or, Irminism) is a current of Germanic Neopaganism represented by the Irminen-Gesellschaft, with the aim of continuously building and evolving the traditions of Germanic paganism according to both historical precedent and the needs of its modern-day practitioners. ... Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List (October 5, 1848 - May 17, 1919), author of the famous Secret of the Runes, was an occult and völkisch author who is seen as one of the most important figures in Germanic mysticism and runic revivalism in the late...

• The upper floors

The upper floors were to be completed as a multi-storied hall with a big dome ^[72]. It was to be a prestigious meeting hall for the entire corps of the SS-Gruppenführer. This room was only planned. In order to realize the hall the upper half of the tower was dismantled in winter 1941/42 ^[73].

Blasting operation

When the "final victory" failed to materialize, Himmler ordered Heinz Macher, with 15 of his men, to destroy the Wewelsburg (31 March 1945), only two days before the US Third Infantry Division seized the grounds. Because Macher's company ran out of explosives, they placed tank mines only in the unimportant southeast tower, the guard-building and the SS-cadre-building ^[74] which was completely destroyed. The castle was set on fire and - according to information of the village citizens - the castle was given free for looting ^[75] (see photo of the castle after the blasting operation). Heinz Macher Heinz Macher (1919-2001) German National Socialist (Nazi) official. ... The 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) —nicknamed the Rock of the Marne— is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. ...

Workers' camp set up during reconstruction efforts in 1939

Image File history File links Tent-Wewels. ... Image File history File links Tent-Wewels. ...

Members

• Heinrich Himmler - Overseer
• Manfred von Knobelsdorff - Commandant
• Siegfried Taubert - Commandant
• Karl Elstermann von Elster Stabsführer - replaced by Paul Hübner
• Walter Muller - Hauptsturmführer
• Josef Schneid - Hauptsturmführer also known as Pepi
• Walter Franzius - architect brought onboard in October 1935
• Karl Lasch
• Dr. Hans-Peter de Courdes - until May 1939
• Dr. Bernhard Frank - SS Commander of the Obersalzburg
• Dr. Heinrich Hagel (physician) - Obersturmbannführer
• Wilhelm Jordan
• Elfriede Wippermann

Himmler redirects here. ... Obersturmbannführer Manfred von Knobelsdorff (born 15 June 1892 in Berlin-Spandau) oversaw much of Wewelsburg Castle from February 12th 1935 through January 24, 1938, where he presided over several ceremonies. ... The SS commander of the Obersalzberg, Bernhard Frank arrested Hermann Göring on April 25th 1945 under orders from Adolf Hitler who was irate at Görings attempt to promote himself above the Führer. ...

Legends, rumors and interpretations

• The vault allegedly dubbed the Himmler Crypt, was (allegedly) dedicated to Heinrich I, founder and first king of the medieval German state (see East Francia), of whom Himmler reportedly believed himself to be the reincarnation, and where he hoped to be interred after his death.^[76] This assertion is unproven. In Himmlers's opinion Heinrich I protected Germany from invaders from the "East" ^[77].
• Leading representatives of the Third Reich were fascinated by the myth of the "Holy Grail." Hitler admired Richard Wagner's Lohengrin and Parsifal. Hitler himself has never been to the castle ^[78].
• Himmler reportedly imagined the castle as a locus for the rebirth of the Knights of the Round Table and appointed twelve SS officers as his followers, who would gather at various rooms throughout the castle and perform unknown rites^[79]. As a matter of fact "spring conferences" were planned since 1939 ^[80]. The only documented meeting was in June 1941. Also fact is that the SS had twelve main departments (SS-Hauptämter) with twelve leaders. The number twelve plays a major role in the design of the North Tower: twelve pedestals in the vault, twelve pillars and niches in the "Obergruppenführersaal" and twelve spokes of the sun wheel. The sun in general was interpreted in their study of sense characters as "the strongest and most visible expression of god," the number twelve as significant for "the things of the target and the completion" ^[81].

Quote of former SS-General Karl Wolff referring to the Obergruppenführersaal: "This was a part of the myth which was to be introduced here. These are the twelve compartments(*), they were created according to mystic-confused things with which Himmler liked to play, of the Round Table of King Arthur. In fact we were twelve main department leaders (Hauptamtchefs) who represented equally next to each other their service areas because Himmler didn't have the courage to appoint a Deputy-Reichsführer-SS or a Deputy Chief of the German police." ^[82] (* German original sound record: "Postamente": this could refer to the twelve columns; there is also speculation about twelve heraldic emblems ^[83] for the twelve leading SS-Generals which were to be placed inside the hall.) Heinrich I depicted as The Bamberg Knight Henry I, the Fowler (German: Heinrich der Finkler or Heinrich der Vogler) (876 - July 2, 936), was Duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death in 936. ... Eastern Francia were the lands of Louis the German after the Treaty of Verdun of 843. ... This article is about the theological concept. ... Heinrich I depicted as The Bamberg Knight Henry I, the Fowler (German: Heinrich der Finkler or Heinrich der Vogler) (876 - July 2, 936), was Duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death in 936. ... Lohengrin is a romantic opera (or music drama) in three acts by Richard Wagner. ... Parsifal is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. ... For the film, see Knights of the Round Table (film). ...

• Allegedly the "Obergruppenführersaal" has similarities with the Mausoleum of Theodoric in Ravenna ^[84]
• When one of the officers died, his ashes would be interred in the castle. There is speculation that the urns of dead SS leaders would have been placed on the pedestals in the vault. The vault is also named "consecration-hall" (Weihehalle) ^[85].
• Interpretation of the symbolic character of the eternal flame: according to believes which were common during the NS-era ^[86] they wanted to feel in the fire the "aspiration of the ancestral soul" from which - in their beliefs - man arises at his birth and which he reenters at his death. Consecration-sites and -events suggested the immortality of the people's soul ^[87].
• In 1938, Siegfried Taubert was in charge of developing the castle, when Himmler inquired about the cost of installing a planetarium^{[citation needed]}.
• Legend suggests that it held thousands of accused witches during the 17th century, who were tortured and executed within its walls.

Entrance to the Mausoleo di Teodorico. ... Province of Ravenna Ravenna is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... For the song by Ai Otsuka, see Planetarium (song) // A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... Death Penalty World Map Color Key: Blue: Abolished for all crimes Green: Abolished for crimes not committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war) Orange: Abolished in Practice Red: Legal Form of Punishment Execution of a soldier of the 8th Infantry at Prescott, Arizona, 1877 Execution...

Niederhagen Camp

KZ-Niederhagen

Main article: Niederhagen concentration camp

Just offsite of Wewelsburg was the smallest German KZ, Niederhagen prison and labour camp.[1] Begun on June 17, 1940, the camp was completed the following year and named after Niederhagen Forest, the name Himmler had given to the forest outside the castle several years earlier. Image File history File links Niederhagen_Camp. ... Image File history File links Niederhagen_Camp. ... The German word Konzentrationslager (abbreviated KZ) is a literal translation of the English term, concentration camp. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It began with 480 prisoners from Sachsenhausen, and grew to 1200, comprised chiefly of Soviet POWs and captured foreign labourers shipped to Germany, although early in its life it was also a gathering point for Jehovah's Witness prisoners. During the SS's December 1942 Korherr Report it was reported to have only housed 12 Jews all of whom had died.[2] Prisoners of Sachsenhausen, 19 Dec 1938 Sachsenhausen (IPA: ) was a concentration camp in Germany, operating between 1936 and 1950. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Jehovahs Witnesses (JW) are members of a worldwide Christian denomination. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... The Korherr Report, is a document on the progress of the Holocaust written by the chief inspector of the statistical bureau of the SS, Dr Richard Korherr, on instructions from Heinrich Himmler on January 18, 1943. ...

Of the 3900 prisoners held during the camp's existence, 1285 of them died and 56 were formally executed. In August 1942, the Allies began deciphering death tolls transmitted from the camps, Niederhagen had reported 21 deaths for that month.[3] The camp was dissolved in 1943 with most of the prisoners resettled in Buchenwald, though several dozen prisoners remained behind, housed directly in Wewelsburg ^[88]. Buchenwald is the German for beech forest. A koolio forest in the hill range Elm (Höhenzug Elm), in the Helmstedt and Wolfenbüttel districts, Lower Saxony A German name for a Hungarian region Bakony Forest (Hungarian: , German: ) A Nazi concentration camp in Germany (German: ); See Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald...

Hauptsturmführer Adolf Haas, who had overseen the camp from its beginning, was transferred to a command position at Bergen-Belsen, while Schutzhaftlagerführer Wolfgang Plaul was transferred to Buchenwald. Untersturmführer Hermann Michl had last been recorded at the camp in 1942, and later appeared at the Riga ghetto. Bergen-Belsen, sometimes referred to as just Belsen, was a German concentration camp in the Nazi era. ... Buchenwald is the German for beech forest. A koolio forest in the hill range Elm (Höhenzug Elm), in the Helmstedt and Wolfenbüttel districts, Lower Saxony A German name for a Hungarian region Bakony Forest (Hungarian: , German: ) A Nazi concentration camp in Germany (German: ); See Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald...

Post-War

Wewelsburg 2004

In 1948/49 the castle was restored ^[89]. On June 29, 1950 the castle was reopened as a museum and youth hostel, while the Niederhagen kitchen had been renovated into a village fire station. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 443 KB) Beschreibung Bildbeschreibung: Die Wewelsburg bei Büren Quelle: selbst gemacht Fotograf/Zeichner: Harald Köster, Bochum, Germany Datum: September 2004 Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 443 KB) Beschreibung Bildbeschreibung: Die Wewelsburg bei Büren Quelle: selbst gemacht Fotograf/Zeichner: Harald Köster, Bochum, Germany Datum: September 2004 Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fire station in Kostroma, Russia (1823-26). ...

In 1973, a two-year project was begun to restore the North Tower, and by 1977 it had been decided to restore the entire site as a war monument. It opened on March 20, 1982, with several survivors of the Niederhagen camp present. Karl Hueser of the University of Paderborn was considered influential in the reopening project, and Wulff Brebeck would become the curator through the 1990s.[4] is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The University of Paderborn (German: Universität Paderborn) in Paderborn, Germany, is a university with 13,900 students (as of 2004/07/02). ...

Due to a local government reform the Wewelsburg became property of the district of Paderborn in 1975. In 1996 the Historical Museum of the Bishopric of Paderborn (Historisches Museum des Hochstifts Paderborn) opened in the east- and south-wing ^[90]. The museum documents the history of the "Hochstift Paderborn" (Bishopric of Paderborn) which was one of territories of the Holy Roman Empire ^[91]. The Diocese of Paderborn was founded in 799 by Pope Leo III. In the early years it was subordinated to the bishop of Würzburg. ... The Diocese of Paderborn was founded in 799 by Pope Leo III. In the early years it was subordinated to the bishop of Würzburg. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

A memorial was built in honour of the deceased Niederhagen prisoners in 2000, four years later the Kreismuseum Wewelsburg was granted DM 29,400 for restoring and moving the remnants of the Niederhagen camp, as well as producing an educational film on the Ukrainian and Russian prisoners who were housed there.[5] In 2006 and 2007 it hosted the annual Internacia Seminario, a meeting of Esperanto youth. ISO 4217 Code DEM User(s) Germany, Montenegro, Kosovo ERM Since 13 March 1979 Fixed rate since 31 December 1998 Replaced by €, non cash 1 January 1999 Replaced by €, cash 1 January 2002 € = 1. ... Internacia Seminario (IS) (English: International Seminar) is the most important Esperanto youth meeting organized by the German Esperanto Youth (GEJ) at the end of every year in a different German city, December 27 to January 3. ... This article is about the language. ...

The youth hostel which is mainly placed in the east-wing of the castle is one of the biggest in Germany (204 beds) ^[92]

See also

• Nazi mysticism
• Nazi architecture
• Karl Maria Wiligut

Nazi mysticism is a quasi-religious undercurrent of Nazism; it denotes the mixture of Nazism with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory, and/or the paranormal — especially in the traditions of Germanic mysticism. ... Germany pavilion at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris, 1937. ... Karl Maria Wiligut (alias Weisthor) (December 10, 1866 - January 3, 1946) was also known as Himmlers Rasputin. He was born in Vienna in what was then Austria-Hungary. ...

Footnotes

Felix Kersten (1898-1960) was since 1928 the masseur of prince Hendrik of the Netherlands of the royal court. ... Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is the author of several books on modern occultism and esotericism with the history of its intersection with fascist politics. ... Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism and the Politics of Identity is a book by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke. ...

External links

• Kreismuseum Wewelsburg (English)
• Wewelsburg from 1933 to 1945, place of cult and terror (English)
• The North Tower of Wewelsburg Castle (English)
• 60 years end of war - Wewelsburg: SS-cult and KZ-terror (German)
• The SS school "House Wewelsburg" (German)
• SS - The Wewelsburg (German)
• History of the castle (German)
• Wewelsburg Castle near Paderborn Himmler's Cult- and Order-Castle of the SS during the Third Reich (German)
• 22 September 1934 - Takeover of the Wewelsburg by Heinrich Himmler (German)
• Grossly exaggerated architect's plans for the Order Castle Wewelsburg (German)
• Interview (German)
• Topography of the concentration camp Niederhagen (German)
• Area of the former concentration camp Niederhagen (German)
• Wewelsburg and concentration camp forced labour (German)
• The "Small Camp" with a photo of about 1941 and the Wewelsburg in the background (German)
• Virtual tour through the village of Wewelsburg (German)
• Kreismuseum Wewelsburg - the official Website (German)
• Website of the Village Wewelsburg (German)
• Historical photos of the Wewelsburg (German)
• Film clip about architectural plannings [2 MB] (German)
• Documentation "Wewelsburg 1933 - 1945. Cult- and terror place of the SS" 4.83 MB (German)

Coordinates: 51°36′23″N, 8°39′06″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...