Indology and "the disastrous ideology of the 'pure Aryan race'"

[gruenendahl]

On 18 Jan 2007 at 18:08, Dominik Wujastyk wrote:

> There's a good description of the Ahnenerbe and the surrounding historical 
> events and people in the book "The Occult Establishment" by James Webb 
> (pp.321-4). ...
> 
> Webb offers extracts from the diary of Wolfram Sievers as examples of the 
> day-to-day events of the Ahnenerbe (p.323).  Interestingly, "...at 4:00 
> [on 6 Jan 1944, Sievers] visited Professor Wuest at the university [of 
> Munich] to talk about the Ahnenerbe publishing firm and their Sven Hedin 
> Institute for Asian Exploration."

[Webb's book is not within my reach.]
Sievers and Wüst were among the highest-ranking officers of the Ahnenerbe (after 
Heinrich Himmler), and without knowing the details of their meeting in Munich, I 
would assume that Sievers consulted Wüst in this capacity, not as an indologist. As 
far as I know, there were not Indologists in the "Hedin-Institut für Innerasien und 
Expeditionen" (Munich), founded as late as 16.1.1943 and directed by Ernst 
Schäfer. It operated largely independently, but with organizational ties to the 
Ahnenerbe, Munich University and the ministry in charge. (Helmut Hoffmann joined 
as a Tibetologist; for details see Michael H. Kater, Das Ahnenerbe, 2001:213 and 
passim).
More to the point, I'm not aware that the "ideology of the 'pure Aryan race'" occupied 
the Hedin-Institut in any way, and having been founded that late, what influence 
could it have had on that ideology?
 
> There can be little doubt that Hauer, however, was convinced by NS 
> anti-semitic, blood-and-soil, and other creeds, and considered Hitler "the 
> genius of our people."

As far as I remember, evidence of Hauer's anti-semitic conviction is indirect (letters 
etc.), and not documented in his publications. But I would have to look that up. 
Anyway, I'm not aware that he propagated the "ideology of the 'pure Aryan race'", 
but would have to check that, too.

Greetings
Reinhold Grünendahl


********************************************************************

Dr. Reinhold Gruenendahl
Niedersaechsische Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek
Fachreferat sued- und suedostasiatische Philologien
(Dept. of Indology)

37070 Goettingen, Germany
Tel (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 52 83
Fax (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 23 61
gruenen at mail.sub.uni-goettingen.de

FACH-INFORMATIONEN INDOLOGIE, GOETTINGEN:
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/fiindolo.htm
In English:
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/fiindole.htm

GRETIL - Goettingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil.htm