There was also Himmler the crusader and visionary, the man who built a romantic castle in a German forest where the knights of the S.S., many of whom could hardly read or write, were required to repair at intervals to contemplate the glory of their order and establish spiritual contact with the heroes of mediaeval Germany.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Himmler created a romanticized SS order with medieval themes for spiritual connection.
- In plain terms
- He built a castle for SS knights to feel connected to medieval heroes.
- What can you take from it?
- Ideologies often use romantic history to inspire followers.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do movements use medieval imagery?
- How does symbolism build loyalty?
Another view
Romanticizing the past can mask harmful realities.
More from Heinrich Himmler
He was a schoolmaster type outwardly, and that was as far as his foreign political horizon went. Therefore, in the field of foreign affairs I had an easy time …
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Permalink to quote #32 Himmler was such a coward he refused or was afraid to act because of Kaltenbrunner and Hitler.
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