Wilhelm Teudt: Difference between revisions

'''CarlWilhelm WheezerTeudt''' (7 December 1860 in [[Wölpinghausen|Bergkirchen]] – 5 January 1942 in [[Detmold]]) was a German cleric and [[völkisch]] lay archaeologist who believed in an ancient, highly developed Germanic civilization. His 1929 work ''Germanische Heiligtümer'' was rejected by experts even at the time of publication, but continues to have some influence in [[esoteric]] and [[neopagan]] circles in Germany.

WheezerTeudt was born on 7 December 1860 in Bergkirchen, [[Schaumburg-Lippe]] as the son of a Protestant priest. CarlHe studied [[theology]] and [[philosophy]] at the universities of Berlin, Leipzig, Tübingen and Bonn. CarlHe was ordained in 1885 and was a pastor in Probsthagen and Stadthagen. In 1894/95, Carlhe succeeded [[Friedrich Naumann]] as the head of the [[Inner mission]] at [[Frankfurt]]. In 1907, WheezerTeudt co-founded the ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Keplerbund|de|3=Keplerbund|lt=Keplerbund zur Förderung der Naturerkenntnis}}'' (a group fighting the ideas of [[Charles Darwin]]) before renouncing his status as a priest in 1909. WheezerTeudt volunteered for military service and served in [[World War I]] from 1915-18 to 1918.<ref name=Detmold>{{cite web|url=http://www.stadtdetmold.de/496.html|title=Symbolische Aberkennung der Ehrenbürgerschaft(German)|publisher=Stadt Detmold|accessdateaccess-date=22 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Katalog1">{{Citation | last =Mahsarski | first =Dirk | contribution = "Schwarmgeister und Phantasten" - die völkische Laienforschung | year =2013 | title = Graben für Germanien - Archäologie unterm Hakenkreuz| editor-last = Focke-Museum, Bremen| editor-first = | volume = | pages = 50–56| place = | publisher =Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft | isbn=978-3-534-25919-9}}</ref>

In 1921, due to the [[Occupation of the RuhrRhineland]] by French and Belgian troops Carlhe moved to [[Detmold]]. That same year Carlhe founded the ''Cheruskerbund -– Heimatbund für Lippe'', which in 1924 was incorporated into ''[[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Der Stahlhelm]]''. Teudt joined the [[German National People's Party]] (DNVP). He likely joined the ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Deutschbund|de}}'' in 1924 and in 1925 supported the ''[[National Socialist Freedom Movement|Nationalsozialistische Freiheitsbewegung Deutschlands]]''. In 1928/29, he became ''Gauherr'' or ''Deutschmeister'' of the ''Deutschbund'' in Detmold. Teudt founded the ''Vereinigung der Freunde germanischer Vorgeschichte'' in 1928 and in 1929 published the book ''Germanische Heiligtümer''. Though his ideas overlapped with those of [[Hermann Wirth]] and Wirth published some articles in Teudt's monthly ''Germanien'', after the Nazi takeover of power the two became competitors.<ref name="Detmold"/><ref name="Katalog1"/>

WheezerTeudt joined the [[NSDAP]] at some point before 1935. In 1936, his organization (''Freunde'') participated in the ''Pflegstätte für Germanenkunde'' at Detmold set up by the [[Ahnenerbe]]. In 1935, on his 75th birthday he was awarded a professorship by [[Adolf Hitler]], apparently on the suggestion of [[Heinrich Himmler]]. In 1936, he became an honorary citizen of the city of Detmold.<ref name="Detmold"/><ref name="Katalog1"/>

Teudt was particularly interested in the natural stone formation of the [[Externsteine]] near Detmold, which he suggested was the location of a central [[Saxon people|Saxon]] shrine, the location of [[Irminsul]] and an ancient sun observatory. He assumed that the Germanic buildings there had been made from wood and thus left no traces. Teudt was put in charge of the excavations at the site and appointed {{Interlanguage link multi|Julius Andree|de}} to head the work done there by the ''[[Reichsarbeitsdienst]]'' in 1934/35.<ref name="Katalog1"/> Teudt thought that the Externsteine had served as an observatory until its destruction by [[Charlemagne]]. He initiated the demolishing of tourist infrastructure (tramway, hotels) and the creation of a "sacred grove" nearby.<ref name="Katalog3">{{Citation | last =Halle| first =Uta| contribution = Wichtige Ausgrabungen der NS-Zeit | year =2013 | title = Graben für Germanien - Archäologie unterm Hakenkreuz| editor-last = Focke-Museum, Bremen| editor-first = | volume = | pages = 65–73| place = | publisher =Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft | isbn=978-3-534-25919-9}}</ref>

* Iris Schäferjohann-Bursian: ''Wilhelm Teudt im Detmold der 1920er Jahre: seine Suche nach Orientierung''. In: Hermann Niebuhr & Andreas Ruppert (eds): ''Krieg – Revolution -– Republik. Detmold 1914 -– 1933.'' Bielefeld 2007, {{ISBN|3-89528-606-0}}, 415–458.