On this day in 1935, Karl Germer was arrested by Nazi authorities for being a Freemason and translating the writings of Aleister Crowley into German. A few years later he would suffer worse, as recounted at the U.S. Grand Lodge website of Ordo Templi Orientis:
“When World War II broke out in 1939, international communications became increasingly disrupted and civilian travel was limited. Crowley became very dependent on foreign representatives, being unable to travel himself. Karl Germer, Crowley’s German representative, was arrested by the Gestapo and confined in a Nazi concentration camp for ‘seeking students for the foreign resident, high-grade Freemason, Crowley.’ Released early in the War through the efforts of the American Consul, Germer traveled ultimately to the United States, where, as Grand Treasurer General and Crowley’s second in command, he conducted much of the business of O.T.O. On March 14, 1942, Crowley wrote to Germer: ‘I shall appoint you my successor as O.H.O. … A complete change in the structure of the Order, and in its methods is necessary. The secret is the basis, and you must select the proper people.’”
Late last year he International College of Thelema published Karl Germer: Selected Letters 1928-1962 edited by David Shoemaker, Andrew Ferrell, Stefan Voss. The ICoT site states:
“Selected Letters 1928-1962 includes letters exchanged between Karl Germer and such Thelemic luminaries as Jane Wolfe, Phyllis Seckler, Jack Parsons, Wilfred Talbot Smith, and others. The discussions range from the mundane to the mystical, including the politics and intrigues surrounding Agape Lodge of O.T.O., the publishing of various works of Aleister Crowley, the philosophy of Thelema, and the administration of A.’.A.’.. Scholars, historians, and students of Thelema alike should find much of interest in this collection as it begins to fill a significant gap within the history of Thelema.”
copies can be ordered here: https://www.createspace.com/6747063
