Why did the Nazis spend so much money on archaeology, and what were they looking for before WWII?

In the history of the dark times of Nazi Germany, there is an intriguing and disturbing chapter in the emergence of the secret Ahnenerbe organization. Headed by Heinrich Himmler, this organization was engaged in the study of ancient German history and ancestral heritage; however, significant funds were also invested in the development of archaeology. By carrying out archaeological excavations and searching for ancient artifacts, the Nazis pursued a secret goal – to find evidence of the superiority of the Aryan race and justify the Nazi ideology, even if it meant manipulating science and rewriting the past.

Nazi Archaeology, in which facts die

One might wonder why, in the run-up to and in the midst of one of the largest wars the world has ever seen, the Nazis spent so many resources on archaeology if they didn’t know that Nazi Germany wasn’t interested in historical research. For the Nazis, archaeology was a means to an end, a way to arouse nationalist pride and provide a scientific justification for the atrocities they committed. 

The Nazi ideology revolved around the idea of Aryan supremacy. Since this was far-fetched, it was necessary to establish a historical basis for this. By “discovering” the evidence of ancient Aryan civilizations, the Nazis sought to confirm their horrific racial theories and give historical legitimacy to Aryan supremacy and the idea of a thousand-year-old Reich.

The Nazis relied heavily on indoctrination. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. Through the propaganda of the glorious Aryan past, they sought to strengthen national identity, foster a sense of pride, and strengthen faith in racial purity among the German people. 

In addition, Nazi Germany planned to “appropriate” huge chunks of mainland Europe. The Nazis hoped that with the help of archaeology, they would be able to prove that Germany had “legitimate” claims to foreign lands. It was not so much about convincing other countries as it was about convincing the Germans that their country was fighting for a just cause. 

All of this was best summarized in the five “principles” of Nazi archaeology that guided Ahnenerbe’s actions.

The Five Principles of Nazi Archaeology

Principle one: The search for evidence of Fritz Grebner’s theory of cultural habitat

The Nazis sought to find evidence that confirmed the theory of the cultural area proposed by the German ethnologist Fritz Grebner. This theory argued that the recognition of an ethnic region was based on the discovery of archaeological sites. In other words, wherever a “German” artifact is found, it must belong to Germany. This argument was used, for example, to argue that the territories of Poland and Czechoslovakia should belong to Germany since such artifacts were found there.

Principle two: Proof of the theory of social diffusion

It was a theory that argued that the spread of influences, ideas, and models between cultures has always spread from top to bottom, meaning that more advanced civilizations passed on their heritage to less developed ones rather than the other way around. Nazi historians used this theory to paint the history of Germany in the same light as the Romans and used it to claim that Germany was the cradle of civilization.

Principle three: Support the argument of global superiority

It was about proving and promoting the doctrine of Aryan supremacy. This theory posits that old cultural models, such as ancient myths and legends, should be incorporated into modern mainstream culture and utilized to highlight Germany’s historical significance. That’s why the Nazis used symbols like the swastika, why the SS used runic symbols, and why the ideas put forward by German scientists were better than those put forward by “lower races.”

Principle four: Evidence that the Germans were “pure Aryans”

Finding evidence that Germans are pure-blooded Aryans, as outlined in the Deutsche Reinheit theory. It was believed that the Germans had survived a large-scale natural disaster and had developed a highly advanced culture by emigrating to Germany. Part of this theory also involved the proof that the ancient Greeks were actually of Germanic descent, as some “Indo-Germanic” artifacts were found in Greece. 

Principle five: Propaganda

The fifth principle states that Ahnenerbe’s role is to support the propaganda machine by “proving” the theories outlined in the first four principles. 

What were the Nazi archaeologists looking for under Himmler’s leadership?

Today, it has already been proven that for the Nazis, archaeology was mainly propaganda and an attempt to justify their crazy ideas. But what were they looking for?

First of all, they sought to find evidence confirming their belief in the superiority of the Aryan race. The fourth postulate stated that the Germans are the purebred descendants of the mythical Aryans who left their homeland after a natural disaster. Therefore, the Ahnenerbe sought the ancient roots of the Germanic peoples and established a connection between the ancient Germanic tribes and this mythical Aryan race.

This meant searching for evidence of the existence of advanced Aryan civilizations that preceded other cultures. In doing so, they sought to demonstrate the intellectual, technological, and cultural superiority of the Aryan race. The discovery of such evidence would provide a historical narrative consistent with their racial ideology.

They also sought to find the supposed ancestral homeland of the Aryan race. This was a hypothetical region that was believed to be the birthplace of the Aryan people and the source of their supposed superiority.

Archaeological expeditions have been conducted in various regions, including Tibet, Iceland, and the Caucasus, in an attempt to discover this mythical Aryan homeland, the discovery of which would provide a tangible link to the Aryan race and further confirm their racial theories.

Ironically, this belief in an Aryan homeland led the Nazis to spend years searching for the mythical lost city of Atlantis. Even before Heinrich Himmler took over Ahnenerbe, this idea belonged to the German historian Hermann Wirth. 

Wirth believed that Atlantis was located somewhere in the North Atlantic and was an advanced civilization that reached its peak approximately 25,000 years ago. He claimed that the Nordic race initially originated from Atlantis and that the Nordic and Aryan races were the same. 

There was no evidence of this, but that didn’t stop Himmler from spending years searching for Atlantis.

What the Nazis found

Ahnenerbe’s archaeological discoveries were often driven by ideological bias rather than scientific accuracy. Although many of their claims lacked empirical evidence, they made several genuine archaeological discoveries. 

They managed to unearth various artifacts related to ancient Germanic tribes. Among them were weapons, tools, jewelry, ceramics, and other everyday items. These findings were used to promote the idea of the ancient greatness of the Germanic peoples, reinforcing their claims of racial superiority.

One of the notable finds associated with Ahnenerbe is the Nebra Celestial Disk, a Bronze Age artifact found in Germany. The disk, dating back to approximately 1600 BC, is an image of the cosmos and is believed to have been used for both astronomical and religious purposes.

The Ahnenerbe interpreted the disk as evidence of ancient Germanic astronomical knowledge and sought to link it to their Aryan theory.

Nazi archaeologists extensively studied ancient Germanic runes and symbols, such as the runic alphabet known as the Elder Futhark. They tried to interpret these symbols as evidence of the superior intellectual and cultural achievements of the ancient Germanic peoples. Their research included analyzing runestones, inscriptions, and ancient manuscripts to support their narrative of racial origins.

Ahnenerbe’s extensive investments in archaeology were motivated by the Nazis’ desire to legitimize their racial ideology and create a historical foundation for their regime. The five principles of Nazi archaeology guided their efforts to establish the primacy of the Aryan race, identify the ancestral homeland, glorify the ancient Germanic heritage, affirm Germanic purity, and deny external influences. 

However, their archaeological work was strongly influenced by ideological bias, which led to unfounded statements, distortion of scientific facts, and their interpretation of history.