A Demon-Haunted Land: Witches, Wonder Doctors, and the Ghosts of the Past in Post-WWII Germany
Nov 2020 · Metropolitan Books
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This account of German citizens swept up in a wave of supernatural obsessions after WWII and the Holocaust is “an engrossing story from beginning to end” (Booklist).
In the aftermath of World War II in Germany, a messianic faith healer rose to extraordinary fame, prayer groups performed exorcisms, and enormous crowds traveled to witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Most strikingly, scores of people accused their neighbors of witchcraft, and found themselves in turn hauled into court on charges of defamation, assault, and even murder. What linked these events, in the wake of an annihilationist war and the Holocaust, was a widespread preoccupation with evil.
While many histories emphasize Germany’s rapid transition from genocidal dictatorship to liberal democracy, A Demon-Haunted Land places in full view the toxic mistrust, profound bitterness, and spiritual malaise that unfolded alongside the economic miracle. Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials, acclaimed historian Monica Black argues that the surge of supernatural obsessions stemmed from the unspoken guilt and shame of a nation remarkably silent about what was euphemistically called “the most recent past.” This shadow history irrevocably changes our view of postwar Germany, revealing the country’s fraught emotional life and deep moral disquiet, and the cost of trying to bury a horrific legacy.
“How do societies that commit monstrous atrocities recover from them? . . . Chock-full of colorful anecdotes and charismatic figures, A Demon-Haunted Land not only offers a brilliant rethinking of postwar German history, but also asks us to see the irrational as an integral part of modernity.” —Boston Review
“Absorbing, gripping, and utterly fascinating . . . Beautifully written, without even a hint of jargon or pretension.” —Richard J. Evans, The New Republic
“Vivid character sketches and keen psychological insights enrich impressive historical research.” —Publishers Weekly
“Readers interested in German and Cold War history and cultural studies of religious and supernatural beliefs will find much to enjoy.” —Library Journal
In the aftermath of World War II in Germany, a messianic faith healer rose to extraordinary fame, prayer groups performed exorcisms, and enormous crowds traveled to witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Most strikingly, scores of people accused their neighbors of witchcraft, and found themselves in turn hauled into court on charges of defamation, assault, and even murder. What linked these events, in the wake of an annihilationist war and the Holocaust, was a widespread preoccupation with evil.
While many histories emphasize Germany’s rapid transition from genocidal dictatorship to liberal democracy, A Demon-Haunted Land places in full view the toxic mistrust, profound bitterness, and spiritual malaise that unfolded alongside the economic miracle. Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials, acclaimed historian Monica Black argues that the surge of supernatural obsessions stemmed from the unspoken guilt and shame of a nation remarkably silent about what was euphemistically called “the most recent past.” This shadow history irrevocably changes our view of postwar Germany, revealing the country’s fraught emotional life and deep moral disquiet, and the cost of trying to bury a horrific legacy.
“How do societies that commit monstrous atrocities recover from them? . . . Chock-full of colorful anecdotes and charismatic figures, A Demon-Haunted Land not only offers a brilliant rethinking of postwar German history, but also asks us to see the irrational as an integral part of modernity.” —Boston Review
“Absorbing, gripping, and utterly fascinating . . . Beautifully written, without even a hint of jargon or pretension.” —Richard J. Evans, The New Republic
“Vivid character sketches and keen psychological insights enrich impressive historical research.” —Publishers Weekly
“Readers interested in German and Cold War history and cultural studies of religious and supernatural beliefs will find much to enjoy.” —Library Journal
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About the author
Monica Black is a professor of history at the University of Tennessee and the author of Death in Berlin: From Weimar to Divided Germany, which won the prestigious Fraenkel Prize, among other awards. She lives in Knoxville.
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