Religion and the SS

Freiritter · Post by **Freiritter** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:44 am

Hello,

I remember reading a book from the Time-Life series The Third Reich, called The SS and it described that Himmler, among others, endorsed some style of pagan religion along old Germanic tradition and even forced SS members to renounce Christianity and take up this religion. Was this true?

Cordially,

Freiritter

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:30 am

FRieritter

I've read about that - but hopefully that didn't permeate too far down the chain. I just finished Kurt Meyer's book and he quoted a speech he gave to his boys (HJ) about the necessity for a soldier to believe in God (ie the Christian God - not Thor!)

I was a bit surprised but certainly pleased to read that.

"Papa" Eicke too rather the opposite approach - preaching against Christianity to his original Totenkopf people - the results are obvious.

Himmler lived in a fantasy land all his own - Hitler was more down to earth and tolerated that nonsense and much else for reasons which to me are not clear. AH himself occassionally spoke of himself in a sort of Catholic context that fails to make sense in light of his actions.

The pagan stuff, mixed with the attachment of peasants to the land and strong women producing racially perfect children gets fairly off beat when you look into it. If nothing else - it distracted ReichsHeini from his other "duties" which was certainly a good thing....

cheers
Reb

Brian67 · Post by **Brian67** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:40 am

Freiritter wrote:Hello,

I remember reading a book from the Time-Life series The Third Reich, called The SS and it described that Himmler, among others, endorsed some style of pagan religion along old Germanic tradition and even forced SS members to renounce Christianity and take up this religion. Was this true?

Cordially,

Freiritter

I read in Brunneggers book "Saat in den Sturm", that he (and the other Totenkopf-Members) was asked to renounce the church/Christianity and instead of christmas they had the "Jul-Fest".

TYR · Post by **TYR** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:03 am

Yes,Reicheini,was a kook.
Believer in pagan rituals,reincarnation,and a vehemnt hatred of organized mainstream religion.Himmler had no military sense at all,as was found in the latter part of the war when he was put in command and promptly went to hospital because he could not take the stress of an actual military leader.
According to CharlesW.Sydnor"s great book,SOLDIERS of DESTRUCTION,
Eicke had a program of organized renunciation of all Christianity.
Of course there were some SS men that had no part of that nonsense,and as the war progressed less and less time was spent in the teaching of paganism and rune lore until it disappeared to be replaced by combat training.And,as the war was being lost,even combat training was rushed,as the demands of the fronts were growing ever more urgent.No time could be spent on nonsense such as paganism when the war was being lost.

Bittrich · Post by **Bittrich** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 1:23 am

Yes Himmler was in fantasy land, but Willi Bittrich was another SS officer who allowed his men to have Chrisitan Services much to Himmlers dismay. I don't know for sure but I would imagine Hausser and Steiner didn't renounce Christianity either.

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:43 pm

It was standard practice in the waffen SS to get everybody to renounce Christianity. However, Himmler was a religious person with a small 'r'. Adolf remarked on it. Something like, 'We thought that we had done away with religion, and here's Himmler starting it all up again'. Even from the early days, Pagan religion and rituals were taught. When the Waffen SS took over foreign formations, various religions had to be tolerated and allowed to be practised.

Roger

Hans · Post by **Hans** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:23 pm

An Uncle of mine was in the SS (all 5'1" of him) and he didn't renounce anything, and apparantly wasn't asked to. They were just interested in using him as gun fodder. It was 1945 after all.

- Hans

TYR · Post by **TYR** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:52 am

[quote="Hans"]An Uncle of mine was in the SS (all 5'1" of him) and he didn't renounce anything, and apparantly wasn't asked to. They were just interested in using him as gun fodder. It was 1945 after all.
[Hans=quote]
Absolutely.Who had time for drivel such as runes lore and religion,when any and every man,short or old,Christian or agnostic,was needed at the front?No time to be asking about your heredity from the 19th century when the red hordes were invading the Reich.

Benoit Douville · Post by **Benoit Douville** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 6:26 pm

The Waffen-SS Division of Foreign Volunteers "Légion Wallonie" of Léon Degrelle were Catholic and were aloud to practiced their Religion.

Regards

Michael N. Ryan · Post by **Michael N. Ryan** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:32 am

Himmler appears to have been quite tolerant of Islam. He appointed Moslem clergy to his Bosnian division.

Himmler is known to have called Christianity a Jewish hoax.

But when it comes to his anti-chuch policies, he seems to have been quite successful with his Concentration Camp personel (perhaps because of Eicke). In ANOTOMY OF THE AUCHWITZ DEATH CAMP by Yisrael Gutman and Michael Berenbaum it is noted that no religious facilities were established in the camp or any of its subcamps. It shouldn't be suprising considering what abominations were done there.

Laurent Daniel · Post by **Laurent Daniel** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:23 pm

Mgr. Mayol de Lupe, a catholic priest, (1873-1975, Iron cross 1942), general chaplain of the LVF became general chaplain of the French Waffen SS upon its creation.
Most of the former Milice members who joined the Waffen SS were catholic. SS and attending the Mass, nobody tried to prevent them to do such.
The preach of Mayol de Lupe were usually starting with "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Fuehrer Adolf Hitler"

TYR · Post by **TYR** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:32 am

Laurent Daniel wrote:Mgr. Mayol de Lupe, a catholic priest, (1873-1975, Iron cross 1942), general chaplain of the LVF became general chaplain of the French Waffen SS upon its creation.
Most of the former Milice members who joined the Waffen SS were catholic. SS and attending the Mass, nobody tried to prevent them to do such.
The preach of Mayol de Lupe were usually starting with "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Fuehrer Adolf Hitler"

That is scary.
Not to be outdone,here in the USA, Rev. Pat Roberts,a conservative minister who televises nationwide daily,called for the assasination of the president of Venezuela for being a communist and terrorist sympathiser.

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:40 pm

I remember an interview with a veteran of the LSSAH in the german TV a few years ago.

He spoke about the swearing-in ceremony at midnight as a kind of a "Religious Ceremony", and he did not wanted to share his emotions about this ceremony to the public...

I have heard such a statement several times, especially from LSSAH veterans.

My english is not good enough, to explain this better, sorry.

Michael

TYR · Post by **TYR** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:54 am

I remember reading about the oath to Hitler.
A night time march with torches,entering a parade field.Speeches about the duty of the SS and finally the swearing in.
I could see how it would be a moving and almost mystical experience.The comaraderie,a solemn oath.It must have been quite moving.

haen1 · Post by **haen1** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:05 am

The notion that the Waffen SS was AGAINST religion is total quatsch.
They were "A "-religious, meaning they espoused nothing of their own, other than some pseudo rituals, meant to increase the 'brotherhood" idea.
For example, in our unit, men were given a pass to go to mass if they so desired.
Most of us were listed on our stammkarten as "Gottglaubig" (believing in God).
The French Waffen SS units even had a chaplain in their organisation.
For what it's worth.
HN

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