Sources

The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-occult-roots-of-nazism-secret-aryan-cults-and-their-influence-on-nazi-ideology.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-occult-roots-of-nazism-secret-aryan-cults-and-their-influence-on-nazi-ideology

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-the-occult-roots-of-nazism-secret-aryan,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-occult-roots-of-nazism-secret-aryan-cults-and-their-influence-on-nazi-ideology},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke's book is the standard academic history of Ariosophy, and its specific evidentiary contribution is a documented, source-by-source account of what Guido von List, Lanz von Liebenfels and the volkisch societies actually wrote and organized, set against the later National Socialist movement, rather than an assumed continuity between them. That care in showing exactly where the documentary record does and does not support a direct influence, refusing looser popular claims of occult Nazi conspiracy, is the book's real contribution and the reason it remains the standard reference here. This record has not independently traced further scholarly response to Goodrick-Clarke's specific claims since 1985. Use it for what the documentary record actually supports about Ariosophy's relationship to Nazi ideology; it is a source-critical history, not a popular occult claim about Nazism.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

The standard academic history of Ariosophy, a documented source by source account of what Guido von List, Lanz von Liebenfels and the volkisch societies actually wrote and organized, refusing looser popular claims of occult Nazi conspiracy.

Notes

The standard academic history of Ariosophy. Establishes what the documentary record does and does not support about the relationship between List, Lanz von Liebenfels, the volkisch societies and the later National Socialist movement.

Citation

Author

Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke

Publisher

Aquarian Press

Publication Year

1985

URL

https://archive.org/details/the-occult-roots-of-nazism_202301

Source Type

Scholarly work

Claims Backed By This Source (335 claims)

This source backs 335 claims across the atlas. As facts: 273 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 28 holds. Plus 33 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Armanen Runes, 180 claims: 144 well-attested, 18 holds, 18 general references.
Articles, 53 claims: 53 well-attested.
Secret Societies, 38 claims: 27 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 5 holds, 5 general references.
Esoteric Texts, 17 claims: 14 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.
Categories, 15 claims: 13 well-attested, 2 general references.
Sacred Sites, 12 claims: 9 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
Languages, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.
Scripts & Magical Alphabets, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Historical Figures, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Years, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.