Otto Rahn

[Bawulf]

I have been reading about Otto Rahn and his research into the occult. (((Wikipedia))) states that he "Openly homosexual, frequenting anti-Nazi circles" fell out of favour with the leadership who had him followed by the gestapo and sent to guard the Dachau camp for a "drunken homosexual scrape". Then goes on to imply that the gestapo offered suicide and he was later found frozen on a mountain.

My question is thus, did he actually betray the NS? And does anyone know anything more about the circumstances of his death?

I personally find it hard to believe based on all his work on the occult and being hand picked by Himmler. The article also claims with that he was Jewish with seemingly no evidence.

 

[Serbon]

I have been reading about Otto Rahn and his research into the occult. (((Wikipedia))) states that he "Openly homosexual, frequenting anti-Nazi circles" fell out of favour with the leadership who had him followed by the gestapo and sent to guard the Dachau camp for a "drunken homosexual scrape". Then goes on to imply that the gestapo offered suicide and he was later found frozen on a mountain.

My question is thus, did he actually betray the NS? And does anyone know anything more about the circumstances of his death?

I personally find it hard to believe based on all his work on the occult and being hand picked by Himmler. The article also claims with that he was Jewish with seemingly no evidence.

He didn't betray NS, they faked his death.
http://otto-rahn.com/otto-rahn-biography

 

[Pumpkin671]

Himmler worked under Ernst Rohm and the SS was under Rohm during the early days of the party, from the SS creation to June 1934. Himmler wanted to get out from under Rohm and secure his own political ambition in the party.

The SA was huge at the time and was needed to help get the Nazis in power but once they finally achieved that, the need for the SA to be as big as it was not needed. Rohm was of course loyal to Hitler and wanted to have the SA merge with the German army. Hitler was wary of that and Himmler, Goering, Goebbels all opposed that move.
Himmler, Goering, Goebbels believed that he (Rohm) was planning to overthrow Hitler (no evidence of that was found) they fed that information to Hitler and tried to convince him of that (big political ambitions for all three if Rohm is gone, also other political Nazi left wing enemies would be used as an excuse). In addition the army opposed the move of the SA merge with the German Army.

Hitler would eventually be convinced and would reluctantly arrest Rohm (personally) and Himmler, Goering would order the killings of the other would be enemies in the Nazi left wing (some say about 500 would be killed).

Rohms death would involve being brought to a prison and being left there a small time, then be given the choice to take his own life rather than be shot by the SS, he was given ten minutes to do so. Still very confused he refused to shoot himself and would be shot by the SS instead in his cell.

When hearing of the news of his friends death, Hitler was crestfallen and ordered Himmler to stop the killings.
This was all political move by the right wing of the party (Himmler, Goebbols, Goering). The SA was also reduced afterwards.
It was known as the Night of the long Knives.

 

[Pumpkin671]

He was not Jewish and Hitler acknowledged Rohms dedication to the NSDAP and the country.

 

[Pumpkin671]

Wrong man here, my apologies, regardless more important info here to learn by.

 

[Bawulf]

He didn't betray NS, they faked his death.
http://otto-rahn.com/otto-rahn-biography

Thanks for the information.

 

[Bawulf]

Wrong man here, my apologies, regardless more important info here to learn by.

It's okay, was gonna say. However I remember reading that the French had bribed Rohm to try and overthrow Hitler, I think this was either in Europa or Greatest Story Never Told. Is this the evidence you say Himmler and the others forged?

 

[Pumpkin671]

Wrong man here, my apologies, regardless more important info here to learn by.

It's okay, was gonna say. However I remember reading that the French had bribed Rohm to try and overthrow Hitler, I think this was either in Europa or Greatest Story Never Told. Is this the evidence you say Himmler and the others forged?

As far as I know and from what I have read (Himmlers Secret War etc.). That the three men didn’t come up with that particular evidence that you speak of, nothing that I have read that would indicate that Röhm (I forgot that special character for his name last time) was involved in that plot. There were some in the left wing of the NSDAP that wanted to have someone else in leadership (Gregor Strasser and Kurt von Schleicher, Kurt was not in NSDAP but seen as someone to influence Hitler and change the Chancellor position to a figurehead position) two big ones that were seen to be close to Röhm, in Röhms attempt to influence Hitler on the military issue of the SA joining the Military.
These were very bad choices of Allie’s to have around at the time because they were not friends of Hitler and neither was Hitler to them.
Röhm made bad moves politically that got himself in trouble or at the very least seen as a problem, he was loyal to Hitler though and still believed in the National Socialist dream for Germany, However he did want to unit The ‘Strasser wing’ of the party with the trade unions to have a stronger voice for the SA and place himself as the Minister of defense. Being in direct ties with Kurt, who wanted to see Hitler as someone with no power only as a puppet and he himself to be in real power as vice chancellor, made Röhm look real bad.

The answer would be no, they forged a more exaggerated scheme to rid the party of leftist, by feeding Hitler the above plan and saying that the SA planned to oust Hitler and other leading NSDAP members and put a left government in charge in Berlin. Telling Hitler the coup would happen in Summer of 34’ and that it was being planned imminently. (A lie as there is no evidence) Röhm held his SA that summer at a very relaxed position and most of the SA was on leave not actively planning anything. He was very confident that Hitler would allow him to be in government and in power with his SA. Further explaining his confusion when he was arrested.