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{{Short description|Neo-Nazi and esoteric symbol}}
{{Other uses|Black Sun (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the neo-Nazi symbol|the alchemical symbol|Sol niger|other uses|Black Sun (disambiguation){{!}}Black Sun}}
] sunwheel mosaic in the "Obergruppenführer"-Hall (SS Generals' Hall).]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
]
]


The '''Black Sun''' ({{langx|de|Schwarze Sonne}}) is a type of ] (German: {{lang|de|Sonnenrad}}){{sfnp|Grumke|Wagner|2002|p=207}}{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=125}} symbol originating in ] and later employed by ]s and other far-right individuals and groups. The symbol's design consists of twelve radial ], similar to the symbols employed by the ] in their logo. It first appeared in Nazi Germany as a design element in a castle at ] remodeled and expanded by the head of the SS, ], which he intended to be a center for the SS.
The term '''Black Sun''' (German ''Schwarze Sonne''), also referred to as the ''Sonnenrad'' (the German for "Sun Wheel"), is a symbol of ] and ] significance. Its design is based on a sun wheel mosaic incorporated into a floor of ] during the ].
Today, it may also be used in occult currents of ], and in ] or ]-inspired esotericism—but not necessarily in a racial or neo-Nazi context. Despite its contemporary use, the Black Sun had not been identified with the ornament in ] before 1991, although it had been discussed as an esoteric concept in ] circles since the 1950s.<ref name="Strube, 2012">Strube, 2012</ref>


It is unknown whether the design had a name or held any particular significance among the SS. Its association with the ] originates with a 1991 German novel, {{lang|de|Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo}} (''The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo''), by the ]ous author ]. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer ] as a substitute for the ].{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=148}}{{sfnp|Strube|2015|p=339}}
==Historical background==
], dated to ca. AD 400, from ], ‘’ ‘Die heilige Urschrift der Menschheit’ ‘’, ] 1936, BD. II, Bilderatlas, Tafel 42 (at the time kept in the ]. ].)
Right image: Migration age Alemannic decorative brooch, from Hans-Joachim Diesner, ‘’ ‘Die Völkerwanderung’ ‘’, Gütersloh 1980, used on the title cover of a 1982 ] booklet.</ref>]]


The ] notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and that such imagery should always be analyzed in the context in which it appears, as it may not necessarily be intended to serve as a symbol of ] or racism.<ref name=":0" />
The design has loose visual parallels in ] ] brooches ('']''), possibly a variation of the Roman swastika ], thought to have been worn on ] and Alemannic women's belts.<ref>''' on the Schwarze Sonne (); ; <nowiki>; '</nowiki><nowiki>' of </nowiki>].''</ref>
Some Alemannic or ] specimens incorporate a ] symbol at the center.<ref>'; '</ref> The number of rays in the brooches varies between five and twelve.


==Wewelsburg mosaic and the Nazi period==
] (2002) does connect the Wewelsburg design with the Early Medieval Germanic brooches, and does assume that the original artifacts had a solar significance, stating that
]
"this twelve-spoke sun wheel derives from decorative disks of the ] of the early medieval period and are supposed to represent the visible sun or its passage through the months of the year."<ref name="Goodrick-Clarke">'']'' by ].</ref>
The symbol that later became known as the "black sun" originated in the early 20th century, with the first depiction being the Wewelsburg mosaic. In 1933, ], the head of the ], acquired ], a castle near ] in the German region of ]. Himmler intended to make the building into a center for the SS, and between 1936 and 1942, Himmler ordered the building expanded and rebuilt for ceremonial purposes.{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|pp=148–150}} Himmler's remodeling included the Wewelsburg mosaic that was composed of twelve dark-green radially overlaid ], such as those employed in the logo of the SS, on the white marble floor of the structure's north tower known as the "General's Hall" ({{lang|de|Obergruppenführersaal}}).{{NoteTag|name="SIG-RUNES"|Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke describes this "unique SS sun wheel design" as "a black disk surrounded by twelve radial sig-runes".{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=148}}}} The intended significance of the image remains unknown.{{cn|date=May 2024}}
He further refers to scholarly discussion of the brooches in ],<ref>References in ], ''Schwarze Sonne: Entfesselung und Mißbrauch der Mythen in Nationalsozialismus und rechter Esoterik (Freiburg: Herder, 1999), pp. 148, 245 (note 426)'':']' (Mainz: Röm-German. Zentralmuseum, 1970) by ]. Examples of symbols very similar to the Wewelsburg sun wheel occur in ''Mannus 28 (1936), 270; Walther Veeck, ''Die Alemannen in Württemberg'' (Berlin and Leipzig:DeGruyter, 1931); Hans Reinerth (ed.), ''Die Vorgeschichte der Deutschen Stämme'', 3 vols. (Berlin: Bibliographisches Institut, 1940), vol. 2, plate 219.''</ref> allowing for the possibility that the designers of the Wewelsburg mosaic were indeed inspired by these historical precedents.


Some scholars have suggested that the artist may have found inspiration from motifs found on decorative ] discs ({{lang|de|]n}}) from ], which have been suggested to ], or its passing through the year.{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=148}}{{sfn|Siepe|2022|p=144}}{{NoteTag|name="ZIERSCHEIBEN"|According to Goodrick-Clarke, "t has been suggested that this twelve-spoke sun wheel derives from decorative disks from the Merovingians of the early medieval period and are supposed to represent the visible sun or its passage through the months of the year. These disks were discussed in scholarly publications during the Third Reich and may well have served the Wewelsburg designers as a model."{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=148}}}}
==The Wewelsburg mosaic==
The shape of the symbol as it is used within ] esotericism and ] today is based primarily on the design of a floor mosaic at the castle of ] (built 1603), a ] castle located in the northwest of ], ].


==Neo-Nazism and far right==
During the Third Reich the castle became the representative and ideological center of the order of the ]. ], the leader of the SS, wanted to establish the "Center of the New World".<ref> In German: ''SS - The Wewelsburg''; quote: "... es sollte nach dem ''Endsieg'' das ''Zentrum der neuen Welt'' entstehen." - "... after the ''final victory'' the ''Center of the New World'' was to arise (here)."</ref> A focus of the actual SS-activities at the castle were archaeological excavations in the surrounding region and studies on Germanic early history.<ref> (German)</ref><ref> (German)</ref>
]


In the late 20th century, the Black Sun symbol became widely used by neo-fascist, neo-Nazi,<ref name="LUHN-2014">{{cite news |last=Luhn |first=Alec |date=30 August 2014 |title=Preparing for War With Ukraine's Fascist Defenders of Freedom |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/08/30/preparing-for-war-with-ukraines-fascist-defenders-of-freedom/ |work=Foreign Policy}}</ref> the far-right and ]s. The symbol often appears on extremist flags, t-shirts, posters, websites and in extremist publications associated with such groups. Modern far-right groups often refer to the symbol as the ''sun wheel'' or {{lang|de|Sonnenrad}}.{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|pp=148–150}}{{sfnp|Grumke|Wagner|2002|p=219}}<ref name="NEO-NAZI-USE">Sources:
The mosaic is located in the ground floor room of the North-Tower of the castle, in the so-called ''Obergruppenführersaal'' ("] hall", completed 1939-1943).<ref>'Wewelsburg 1933 bis 1945. Kult-und-Terrorstätte der SS. Eine Dokumentation (Schriftenreihe des Kreismuseums Wewelsburg 1), 2nd Edition Paderborn 1987.' by ] and translated into English in 2000 by ]</ref> ("Obergruppenführer" (literally: "Upper-Group-Leader") was the SS-rank parallel to General in the Wehrmacht or Lieutenant-General in the US and British armies.) It is not known if the SS had a special name for the ornament, or if they attributed a special meaning to it. The sun wheel is significant for the Germanic light-and-sun mysticism<ref></ref> which was propagated by the SS. In their studies on sense characters, the sun apart was interpreted as "the strongest and most visible expression of god", the number twelve as significant for "the things of the target and the completion".<ref>Walther Blachetta: ''Das Buch der deutschen Sinnzeichen'' (The book of German sense characters); reprint of 1941; page 15/16: interpretation of the sun and page 80: interpretation of the number twelve.</ref> The mosaic at Wewelsburg itself is dark green (see two photos: and (1.1 MB)) on a whitish/greyish marble floor. Probably a golden disc was originally located in the middle of the ornament.<ref>The '']'' documentary by ] contains as bonus material an interview with the DVD's producer in which he states this.</ref><ref>At the end of article a "plate of pure gold in the axis of the sun wheel" is mentioned.</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=July 2007}}
*{{cite web |title=Sonnenrad |url=https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/sonnenrad |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |access-date=26 July 2019}}
*{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer, no byline--> |title=Deconstructing the symbols and slogans spotted in Charlottesville |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-videos/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=18 August 2017}}</ref>


The name "Black Sun" came into wider use after the publication of a 1991 occult thriller novel, ''Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo'' (''The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo''), by the pseudonymous author ]. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer ] as a substitute for the ] and a symbol for a mystic energy source that was supposed to renew the ].{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=148}}{{sfnp|Strube|2015|p=339}}{{sfnp|Goodrick-Clarke|2002|p=3}}
Traditional Christianity was to be replaced by a "völkisch" (] or racial) cult. Instead of Christianity, Himmler wanted a moral doctrine derived from the pre-Christian pagan Germanic heritage. Cultic ceremonies and rituals were part of the everyday life of the SS. The Wewelsburg was to be a center of a "species-compliant" religion (German: "artgemäße" Religion)<ref>; quote: ''Sie sollte ein Mittelpunkt der "artgemäßen" Religion werden und einen Repräsentationsbau für das SS-Führerkorps darstellen'' - ''(Wewelsburg Castle) was to be a center of the "kind-accordant" religion and a representative building for the SS-leader-corps''.</ref><ref>, quote: "Sie sollte nach dem “Endsieg” zum “Zentrum der neuen Welt” und “artgemäßen Religion” werden." (Wewelsburg Castle) was to become "Center of the New Word" and the "species-compliant religion" after the "final victory".</ref>


A number of far-right groups and individuals have utilised the symbol in their propaganda, including the perpetrator behind the ], Brenton Tarrant and Australian neo-Nazi group ], and the symbol was displayed by members of several extremist groups involved in the ] in Charlottesville, Virginia.<ref name="UNITE-THE-RIGHT">Sources:
The North-Tower of the castle was to be the center of a planned circular estate, 1.27 kilometres in diameter.<ref></ref><ref></ref> The architects called the complex the "Center of the World" from 1941 onwards.
*{{cite news |last=Porter |first=Tom |date=13 August 2017 |title=Who are the White Nationalist Groups that Demonstrated in Charlottesville? |work=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/who-are-white-nationalist-groups-who-demonstrated-charlottesville-650162}}
*{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer, no byline--> |title=Flags and Other Symbols Used By Neo-Nazi Groups in Charlottesville |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/08/12/flags-and-other-symbols-used-far-right-groups-charlottesville |website=Hatewatch |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |date=12 August 2017}}</ref>


Along with other symbols from the Nazi era such as the {{lang|de|]}}, the ] ], and the {{lang|de|]}}, the black sun is employed by some neo-Nazi adherents of ].{{sfnp|Mathews|2009|p=153}} Scholar Chris Mathews writes:
The North-Tower, which had survived a ruin after 1815, only assumed importance for Himmler starting in the autumn of 1935. In the process of Himmler establishing the castle as a cult site (an ideological and religious center of the ]), the tower was to serve the highest-ranking SS leaders as a meeting place and probably as location for quasi-religious devotions. Nothing is known about the possible way and the kind of arrangement of designated ceremonies in the tower&mdash;the redesigned rooms were never used.<ref>In the this is stated.</ref>
{{quote|The Black Sun motif is even less ambiguous. Though based on medieval German symbols, the Wewelsburg mosaic is a unique design commissioned specifically for Himmler, and its primary contemporary association is ], for which Nazi Satanic groups and ] adopt it.{{sfnp|Mathews|2009|p=153}}}}
According to the architects, the axis of the North-Tower was to be the actual "Center of the World".<ref>The '']'' documentary by ] contains as bonus material an interview with the DVD-producer in which he states this.</ref>


In May 2022, ]. The shooter, a white supremacist, wore the Black Sun symbol on his body armor and placed it on the front of his digital manifesto. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and influencers subsequently spread misinformation linking the shooter with the Azov Regiment and the Ukrainian nation more broadly. However, the shooter makes no reference to the Azov Regiment in his manifesto, and Ukraine receives only a single mention in a section plagiarized from an earlier mass shooter's manifesto that predates the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{sfnp|Lamoureux|2022}}
The inside of the complete castle was redesigned in an Nazi-specific mythological way (see the ]).
SS architect ] presented a first draft of plans that envisioned using the North Tower on three different levels. However, a meeting in the first floor mosaic room never occurred&mdash;the building work at the room was stopped in 1943.<ref>''Wewelsburg 1933 bis 1945. Kult-und-Terrorstätte der SS. Eine Dokumentation (Schriftenreihe des Kreismuseums Wewelsburg 1), 2nd Edition Paderborn 1987.'' ]; translated into English in 2000 by ] and </ref> In 1945, when the "final victory" did not materialize, the castle was partially blasted and set on fire by the SS, but the two redesigned rooms in the North-Tower stayed intact.


On 1 September 2022, ], who has a Black Sun tattoo on his arm, attempted to assassinate Argentine vice president ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Man who attempted to assassinate Argentine vice president has Nazi tattoo |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-who-attempted-to-assassinate-argentine-vice-president-has-nazi-tattoo/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Times of Israel |language=en}}</ref>
It is not known with any certainty whether this symbol was placed in the marble floor at Wewelsburg before or after the National Socialist Regime. There remains speculation as to whether the symbol was placed in the hall by the Nazis or whether it was there previously but there is no definitive proof either way. The book sold by the Wewelsburg museum on the history of the castle from 1933 to 1945 makes no mention of who put it there. The plans for the North Tower by SS architect ] make no mention of it. Scholars today are reluctant to say with any certainty why it was put there, or by whom.<ref name="Goodrick-Clarke" /><ref>'Wewelsburg 1933 bis 1945. Kult-und-Terrorstätte der SS. Eine Dokumentation (Schriftenreihe des Kreismuseums Wewelsburg 1), 2nd Edition Paderborn 1987.' by ] and translated into English in 2000 by ] and extensive pictorial illustration is provided by ] and ], Heinrich Himmler's Burg. Das weltanschauliche Zentrum der SS: Bildchronik der SS-Schule Haus Wewelsburg 1934-1945 (Landshut, Germany: RVG, 1989). Photographs of the Sun Wheel appear ibid, pp. 81-82 - this has been translated into English and is sold by the Wewelsburg museum</ref> Because the ceilings of the North-Tower were cast in concrete and faced with natural stone during the Third Reich, it is more likely that the ornament was created during the Himmler era.


In July 2023, a member of the ] produced and shared a video on ] containing the Black Sun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A video retweeted by a DeSantis staffer stirred new controversy. Was there a Nazi symbol? |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-retweeted-desantis-staffer-stirred-151318902.html |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Yahoo! News |date=25 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Alex |date=July 25, 2023 |title=DeSantis team fires aide who secretly made video with Nazi symbol |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/07/25/desantis-campaign-video-nazi-symbol-sonnenrad |website=Axios}}</ref> The video was quickly retracted after garnering media attention and backlash,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Outrage as DeSantis Staffer 'Retweets' Nazi Symbol Video: 'Disgusting' |url=https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-nazi-symbol-campaign-sonnenrad-1814801 |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Newsweek |date=24 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and the aide was fired.<ref>Cabral, Sam (July 26, 2023) ]</ref>
There is, although its origins are unknown, an identical rendition of the Wewelsburg Schwarze Sonne in a wall painting at a ] military bunker memorial to ] at ] below a statue of Bismarck (see ]). It is with a central piece incorporating a sunwheel and swastikas and the texts "Nicht durch Reden werden große Fragen entschieden, sondern durch Eisen und Blut" ("Great questions will not be resolved by talk, but by iron and blood").<ref>'' by ] (Radböd Ártisson).''''<nowiki/>'''</ref><ref>] </ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>{{Verify credibility|date=July 2007}}


==The Vienna Circle== == Azov Brigade==
], which uses a Black Sun''<ref name=":1"> Quote: "The Azov Battalion included the Black Sun in its emblem in 2014-2015, however, removed it later."</ref>'' and a version of the ] in the forefront.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|access-date=2022-04-01|date=2014-09-10|language=en|title=Azov fighters are Ukraine's greatest weapon and may be its greatest threat|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis|website=the Guardian}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>]]
The "Black Sun" is often associated with the mystic-esoteric aspects of National Socialism. Origin of a phantastic post war "SS mysticism" which refers to the "Black Sun" is a right-wing esoteric circle in ] in the early 1950s.<ref> Vienna as hatchery of occult fascism: "Die beiden Wiener Wilhelm Landig und Rudolf J. Mund müssen als die eigentlichen Stifter dieses "SS-Mystizismus" angesehen werden, der sich heute um das Symbol der ''Schwarzen Sonne'' gruppiert." The two Vienneses Wilhelm Landig and Rudolf J. Mund must be seen as the actual founders of this ''SS mysticism'' which refers to the ''Black Sun'' nowadays.</ref>
The Ukrainian military unit ], founded in 2014, used the symbol as part of its logo.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Franceinfo 2022">{{cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=Guerre en Ukraine : quatre questions sur le régiment Azov, ce bataillon ukrainien accusé de compter des néonazis dans ses rangs |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/europe/manifestations-en-ukraine/guerre-en-ukraine-quatre-questions-sur-le-regiment-azov-ce-bataillon-ukrainien-accuse-de-compter-des-neonazis-dans-ses-rangs_5004578.html |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Franceinfo |language=fr |quote=These are old emblems of the paramilitary group, still used by some soldiers, says Adrien Nonjon}}</ref> Political scientist Ivan Gomza wrote in '']'' that the Nazi connotations of the symbol in that logo are lost on most people in Ukraine, and the logo rather has an association with "a successful fighting unit that protects Ukraine."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Too Much Ado About Ukrainian Nationalists: the Azov Movement and the War in Ukraine, by Ivan Gomza |url=https://krytyka.com/en/articles/too-much-ado-about-ukrainian-nationalists-the-azov-movement-and-the-war-in-ukraine |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=Krytyka |language=en}}</ref> WotanJugend, a neo-Nazi group based in Kyiv and connected to the broader Azov political movement, has also used the Black Sun symbol to promote its group.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-10 |title=A black sun symbol was used by the Christchurch shooter. I see it all over Europe |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-10/christchurch-shooting-far-right-groups-in-ukraine-eastern-europe/10983542 |access-date=2023-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Colborne |first=Michael |date=2020-01-02 |title=Dispatches From Asgardsrei: Ukraine's Annual Neo-Nazi Music Festival |url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2020/01/02/dispatches-from-asgardsrei-ukraines-annual-neo-nazi-music-festival/ |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=bellingcat |language=en-GB}}</ref> During the ], ] ] a photo of a female Ukrainian soldier for ]. The soldier wore a symbol on her uniform that "appears to be the black sun symbol". After receiving complaints from social media users, NATO removed the tweet and stated "The post was removed when we realised it contained a symbol that we could not verify as official".{{sfnp|O'Connor|2022}}


== Other uses ==
The former SS member ] of the ] ''"coined the idea of the Black Sun, a substitute swastika and mystical source of energy capable of regenerating the Aryan race"''.<ref name="Goodrick-Clarke" /> ] (also a former SS member and later also member of the Vienna Circle) discusses a relationship of the Black Sun with ]. The visible sun is described as a symbol of an invisible anti-sun: ''"Everything that can be comprehended by human senses is material, the shadow of the invisible spiritual light. The material fire is - seen in this way - also just the shadow of the spiritual fire."''<ref>Rudolf J. Mund: Das Mysterium der Schwarzen Sonne; Kapitel: Die Esoterik der "Schwärze" (The mystery of the Black Sun; chapter: The esotericism of the "black")</ref>
According to ] initiative ''Reporting Radicalism'', the Black Sun is also used by some ] and satanist groups as an esoteric symbol. They further note that it is sometimes used as a fashionable, aesthetic symbol, or misunderstood as having origins in ancient Scandinavian or Slavic cultures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Sun |url=https://reportingradicalism.org/en/hate-symbols/movements/nazi-symbols/black-sun |access-date=2022-10-17 |website=Reporting Radicalism}}</ref> The ] notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and should be analysed in the context it appears, and not necessarily interpreted as a sign of white supremacy or racism.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=5 March 2022 |title=Sonnenrad |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/hate-symbol/sonnenrad |access-date=2022-10-17 |website=Anti-Defamation League |language=en}}</ref>

The ideas of the Vienna Circle were later continued by the ]. The German scholar Julian Strube has shown a direct exchange of idea between this younger generation and the circle surrounding Landig.<ref name="Strube, 2012" /> After the Tempelhofgesellschaft had been dissolved, its member Ralf Ettl founded the ''Freundeskreis'' (circle of friends) Causa Nostra that remains active.

It should be noted that the speculations of the Vienna Circle did not relate the Black Sun to the ornament in the ]. This identification took place as late as 1991, in the novel ''Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo''.

==Nazi and Neo-Nazi significance==
The term ''Black Sun'' may originate with the mystical "Central Sun" in ]'s ]. This invisible or burnt out Sun (]'s ''Santur'' in Nazi ]) symbolizes an opposing force or pole. {{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} ], of ]s '']'' (Edda Society), claimed that a fight between the new and the old Suns was decided 330,000 years ago (Karl Maria Wiligut dates this 280,000 years ago), and that Santur had been the source of power of the ]. {{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

The Wewelsburg symbol can be deconstructed into three ]s; a "rising", a "zenith" & a "setting" one, the design is popular among German Neo-Nazis as a replacement for the outlawed singular swastika symbol. Another interpretation is that the symbol incorporates twelve reversed "]s" of the ].

Allegedly, the design was drawn for Heinrich Himmler from an "old Aryan emblem",<ref></ref> and was meant to mimic the Round table of Arthurian legend with each spoke of the sun wheel representing one "knight" or Officer of the "inner" SS. The symbol of the Black Sun is purported to unite the three most important symbols of Nazi ideology - the sun wheel, the swastika and the stylized victory rune." and that it is symbolic in its form representing ''"the twelve SS Knights of The Order of the Death's Head and their three retainers"''.<ref>'' of ].''''<nowiki/>'''</ref>

] was the first to link the esoteric SS with the Black Sun roundel insignia carried by German aircraft in the polar region at the close of World War II.<ref name="Goodrick-Clarke" /><ref>'' "]" '' (Mensch und Schicksal 6, No. 10 (1 August 1952), pp. 3-5) by ] (Claude Schweikhart)</ref>

==Contemporary esotericism==
The symbol has been used by a variety of esotericists; for example, as the official symbol of the ] group ]. The name of the well-known ] (a private literary press active in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s) reflects the occult interests of one of its founders, ], but pre-dates the emergence of the esoteric Nazi symbol.

Occasionally, and unscientifically, ]s are referred to as black suns. This is not entirely unrelated to the esoteric meaning, since ] alleges a burnt out sun that was the source of power of the ]s in some mystical past (see also ]). Others{{Who|date=July 2011}} regard the Black Sun as a black hole; before the term ] was coined in 1967, black holes (then still theoretical) were sometimes called black stars or dark stars. Still others, such as ], think of the Black Sun as a ]. Influenced by a combination of the esoteric and the astronomical meaning. See ] for examples of the term as used in popular culture.

==Alternative design==
</ref><ref></ref> It was first used in a publication of the ], in 1987<ref name="Strube, 2012"/>]]
In 1988/1990 and 1992, the Austrian authors ] and ] produced the documentaries "UFO - Das Dritte Reich schlägt zurück? (1998/1990) (UFO - The Third Reich Strikes Back?)"<ref>Goodricke Clarke in Black Sun says 1990 but Henry Stevens in Hitler's Flying Saucers says 1988</ref><ref>()</ref> and "UFO - Geheimnisse des Dritten Reichs (1990) (UFO - Secrets of the Third Reich)"<ref name="viewable here in German">( and )</ref><ref>Kasen, Victor Ordell L: 'Das Geheimnis der Schwarze Sonne: Hinter der Geheimnis Schwarze Sonne', Salop 1993.</ref> which talks of the ] with the Geheimnis Schwarze Sun flashing on screen and talking about it. Professor ] states that ''"In the early 1990s, the Austrians Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer and Ralf Ettl and developed new nazi UFO myths involving ancient Babylon, Vril energy and extraterrestrial civilisation in the solar system of ]. These colourful ideas are integral elements of a dualist ] religion propagated by Ralf Ettl through his ] (Temple Society) in Vienna, identified as a secret successor to the historic Templars, who had absorbed ] and heretical ideas in the Levant"''<ref>Goodricke-Clarke, Black Sun, page 194</ref> Ratthofer and Ettl state in "UFO - Geheimnisse des Dritten Reichs (1990) (UFO - Secrets of the Third Reich)"<ref name="viewable here in German" /> that "Within the SS the Thule Society created a separate secret organisation called the ''"Black Sun"''" with the ''"Geheimnis Schwarze Sonne"'' as its logo. This is a reference to the older narrative developed by the Vienna circle.<ref name="Strube, 2012" />

Jürgen-Ratthofer and Ettl were members of the ] that was originally founded in the 1980s. Its first major publication, ''Einblick in die magische Weltsicht und die magischen Prozesse'' (1987), maintained an esoteric interpretation of the Black Sun that later resurfaced in Landig's ''Rebellen für Thule'', making the exchange between this younger generation and the Vienna Circle evident. The ideas of the THG were further disseminated by their brochure ''Das Vril-Projekt''. They significantly contributed to the identification of the Black Sun with the ornament in the ] that had first been suggested in the novel ''Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo''.<ref name="Strube, 2012" />

In 1997 author ] (real name: Vince Barbarick), wrote a book entitled 'The Black Sun: Montauk's Nazi-Tibetan Connection' in which he refers to an image ''(pictured)'' as the 'Signet of the Black Sun' (a secret order in Germany, also referred to as the 'Order of the Black Sun') and that it is ''"the symbol of the innermost secret society of Nazi Germany: the Black Sun. It is illegal to print or display this symbol in Germany today."''<ref>Moon, Peter; 'The Black Sun: Montauk's Nazi-Tibetan Connection'</ref> This image and information was, according to Moon, originally provided to him by van Helsing around 1996, along with additional information on Nazi flying discs. Moon alleges that Helsing allegedly got it from Templar groups who emerged from East Germany after the Berlin Wall fell and Germany reunited. The German edition of Moon's book on the Black Sun had to have the image removed.

Van Helsing, however, did not write specifically on this symbol and mentioned the Black Sun just in a few phrases. But, from what Moon states, van Helsing could be talking about Ralf Ettl and his Tempelhofgesellschaft (Temple Sociey) in Vienna, identified as a secret successor to the historic Templars.

In 2005 American Scholar Dr. ], in his book 'Reich of the Black Sun', also states that the symbol was adopted by the Thule Society but also adopted as an emblem for ]' New Templars.<ref name="Farrell, Joseph P. p175">Farrell, Joseph P.; 'Reich of the Black Sun' p175</ref> Farrell also states that in contemporary German Federal Law it is forbidden to be displayed.<ref name="Farrell, Joseph P. p175" /> Farrell doesn't cite any sources, not referring to Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer and Ralf Ettl, Jan van Helsing or Peter Moon. Additionally, he states it was adopted by the Thule Society and the New Templars, without citation, and in contradiction to the information supplied by van Helsing and Moon. Farrell has stated that as for primary sources, he does not have one other than ] and ] for the Black Sun concept.<ref>] and ] - Das Vril-Projekt; Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer - Demnachst "Kampf um die Erde"?!"; Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer and Ralf Ettl: UFO - Das Dritte Reich schlägt zurück? (video, 1990) (UFO - The Third Reich Strikes Back?) (); Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer and Ralf Ettl: UFO - Geheimnisse des Dritten Reichs (video, 1992) (UFO - Secrets of the Third Reich) ( and ); Norbert Jürgen Ratthofer - Lichtreiche auf Erden (1997); Das Vril-Projekt 2 (1999) Der Z-Plan (1999, 4 volume novel)</ref>

In 2007 author ] published written works within a ] context utilising the Alternative Black Sun Symbol.<ref>http://www.vinlandfolkresistance.com/articles/200710/McVan_TheBlackSun.html</ref>

British Professor ] B.A. doesn't mention this image in either of his books on the history of occultism in Nazi Germany but shows the Thule Society emblem to have been <ref>Goodricke-Clarke, Nicholas; ']: The Ariosophists of Austria and Germany, 1890-1935'</ref><ref>Goodricke-Clarke, Nicholas; 'Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity'</ref> and Liebenfels' New Templars logo to be .<ref>http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/de%7Dns_or.html</ref>

==Popular culture==
Scottish comics writer ], in his '']'' series '']'', makes repeated references to a Black Sun cult, which is a combination of Nazi and Lovecraftian ideas. They are the main agents in this world for the extradimensional running villains of the series, the Lloigor, and are the ones at the start of the series who engineer the resurrection of Master Man, the vessel of Iok-Sotot.

In ] and ]'s America's Best Comics limited series, ], Albrecht Strong, the Nazi son of Tom Strong, uses the symbol as his own when he overwrites the timestream with his own worldwide neo-Nazi empire.

The symbol is used on the cover of the novel '']'' by ]<ref> </ref> and is mentioned extensively, although the cover image is not strictly the same - it faces in the wrong direction. The symbol is also used on the cover of the fiction novel "Black Order" by ] and is mentioned extensively therein.

In the ] novel, ''Satan's Seed'' by ], the Brotherhood of the Black Sun and ] use geomancy to travel through time. It features in the novel Swastika by ].

In the occult-Nazi thriller ''] (The Black Sun of ])'' by ] (]) in 1991, the assassinations of the president of the European Bank and a leading member of the UN Security Council are linked by a brand mark of the symbol of the Black Sun on the foreheads of the victims. McCloud is the first writer to identify the Wewelsburg sun wheel with the Black Sun myth (of ]), thereby indicating the esoteric influence of Wiligut and the SS heritage and Aryan-theosophical lore at the heart of Himmler's imaginative world. ] in ] (in the former ]) have published further editions and a film script of the book.

The book '']'' by ] and ] discusses the symbol.<ref></ref> The symbol is also used on the book cover for the 2011 novel ''Order of the Black Sun'' by Jack Follett, which features a secret nazi base in ] in ] as one of the settings in the occult tech-thriller.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R9QJ14</ref>

The Jayne Heller book series by Daniel Abraham writing under the name M.L.N. Hanover features a semi-benevolent spirit who possesses the protagonist, calling itself "Sonnenrad, the Black Sun's Daughter." It is described as a Prince of Hell, but its intentions are ambiguous and may not be evil.

The Wewelsburg design is used in the artwork of musical groups from the Neo-Nazi subculture and other bands using Nazi aesthetics, e. g. for shock value. It is used as well as in the in lyrics of the ] groups ] who released a song called ''Solar Lodge'', found on the album '']'', containing the lyrics "See the black sun rise from the ]", ], ] and as the title of a song by ] and ].<ref>Appears as 'Schwarze Sonne'. Tracklisting at </ref>

] (1995) by ] is adapted from Wiligut's pagan calendar cycle of poems presented to Himmler in 1937. The Wewelsburg Black Sun is prominent on Petak's letterhead and the Allerseelen label.<ref name="Goodrick-Clarke" /><ref>'']'' by ] (Engerda, Germany: Arun-Verlag, 1995) - ''An Interview With Kadmon (Allerseelen/"Aorta")'', ''The Nexus'', No. 2 (November 1995) pp. 1-6.</ref>

In the game '']'' by ], the Black Sun was actually another dimension. In the game, the Nazis try to uncover the secrets of the ],
an ancient civilization that discovered how to enter the Black Sun dimension through the use of portals. The main protagonist, a secret agent called ], tries to prevent the Nazis from entering the dimension who try to build a super weapon to win the war. The main character took an ancient artifact from a Nazi dig site showing similar symbolism related to that of the black sun symbol.

In the movie ] the black sun symbol represents the dark side of the moon which hides the secret base of the Nazis, the symbol is seen numerous times.


==See also== ==See also==
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==References== ==References==
'''Informational notes'''
{{Reflist|2}}
{{NoteFoot}}


'''Citations'''
==Further study==
{{Reflist}}
;Scholarly
*Rüdiger Sünner: ]. Entfesselung und Missbrauch der Mythen in Nationalsozialismus und rechter Esoterik. Freiburg i. Br. Verlag Herder/Spektrum, 1999, ISBN 3-451-27186-9. Sünner also produced the ] of the same name to accompany his book.
*]: ]. New York University Press, New York 2003.
*Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas: ]
*Friedrich Paul Heller, ]: Die Sprache des Hasses. Rechtsextremismus und völkische Esoterik. Schmetterling-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001
*Friedrich Paul Heller, Anton Maegerle: Thule. Vom völkischen Okkultismus bis zur Neuen Rechten. 2. Aufl. Stuttgart, Schmetterling-Verlag 1998
*Stephen Cook, Heinrich Himmler's Camelot: Pictorial/documentary: The Wewelsburg Ideological Center of the SS, 1934-1945 (Kressmann-Backmeyer, 1999)
*Julian Strube: ''Die Erfindung des esoterischen Nationalsozialismus im Zeichen der Schwarzen Sonne''. In: ''Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft'' 20/2, 2012, pp.&nbsp;223–268


'''Bibliography'''
;Occult
*{{cite book |last=Goodrick-Clarke |first=Nicholas |year=2002 |title=Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity |publisher=] |isbn=0-81-473124-4}}
*M. B. Hasler, Die Schwarze Sonne. Göttliches Licht der Erkenntnis, ISBN 3-9808794-0-2
*{{cite book |last1=Grumke |first1=Thomas |last2=Wagner |first2=Bernd| name-list-style= and |title=Handbuch Rechtsradikalismus: Personen – Organisationen – Netzwerke vom Neonazismus bis in die Mitte der Gesellschaft |date=2002 |publisher=Leske + Budrich |location=Opladen |isbn=978-3-81-003399-4 |page= |language=de}}
*Rudolf J. Mund, Mythos Schwarze Sonne, ISBN 3-8334-1122-8
*{{cite web |last=Lamoureux |first=Mack |title=Pro-Kremlin Influencers Are Using the Buffalo Shooting to Undermine Ukraine |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kbgxy/ukraine-war-buffalo-shooting-azov-battalion |website=Vice |date=March 16, 2022}}
*{{cite book |last=Mathews |first=Chris |title=Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture |date=2009 |publisher=Praeger |location=Westport, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-313-36639-0 |page= }}
*{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Tom |title=NATO says it didn't notice Ukraine soldier's apparent Nazi symbol in tweet |url=https://www.newsweek.com/nato-says-it-didnt-notice-ukraine-soldiers-apparent-nazi-symbol-tweet-1686523 |website=Newsweek |date=9 March 2022}}
* {{cite book |last1=Siepe |first1=Daniela |title=The Sun Wheel as a "Black Sun" in Wewelsburg Castle's Obergruppenführer Hall |date=2022 |publisher=Brill Schöningh |isbn=978-3-657-79200-9 |pages=143–162 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9783657792009/BP000013.xml |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last=Strube |first=Julian |editor-last=Partridge |editor-first=Christopher |date=2015 |title=The Occult World |chapter=Nazism and the Occult |page= |location=Abingdon, UK |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-41-569596-1}}


==External links==
;Documentary
*{{commonscat-inline|Black Sun (symbol)}}
*'']'' documentary by ]. Sünner also produced a book to accompany this documentary.
*'']'' (1998), directed by ] and ], narrated by ].
*], Starring: ], Director: ]
**Adolf Hitler - Occult History Of The Third Reich
**The SS: Blood And Soil - Occult History Of The Third Reich
**Himmler The Mystic - Occult History Of The Third Reich
**The Enigma Of The Swastika - Occult History Of The Third Reich
*"]" Episode: ]" by the ]
*] by the ]
*]
*In 1994, ] ran a ] documentary entitled '']'', as part of its "]" series.
*]: Occult & Secrets, also known as Volume 3 in the series.
**Rudolf Hess ('''Occult''')
**Hitler's Secret Weapons
**Enigma of the Swastika ('''Occult''')
**Himmler's Castle: Wewelsburg ('''Occult''')
**The Last Days of Hitler
**Decision At Dunkirk/Stalin's Secret Armies


{{Authority control}}
(Different editions have different episodes)

==External links==
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Latest revision as of 22:39, 8 January 2025

Neo-Nazi and esoteric symbol This article is about the neo-Nazi symbol. For the alchemical symbol, see Sol niger. For other uses, see Black Sun.

The Black Sun symbol

The Black Sun (German: Schwarze Sonne) is a type of sun wheel (German: Sonnenrad) symbol originating in Nazi Germany and later employed by neo-Nazis and other far-right individuals and groups. The symbol's design consists of twelve radial sig runes, similar to the symbols employed by the SS in their logo. It first appeared in Nazi Germany as a design element in a castle at Wewelsburg remodeled and expanded by the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, which he intended to be a center for the SS.

It is unknown whether the design had a name or held any particular significance among the SS. Its association with the occult originates with a 1991 German novel, Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo (The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo), by the pseudonymous author Russell McCloud. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer Wilhelm Landig as a substitute for the Nazi swastika.

The Anti-Defamation League notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and that such imagery should always be analyzed in the context in which it appears, as it may not necessarily be intended to serve as a symbol of white supremacy or racism.

Wewelsburg mosaic and the Nazi period

View of the mosaic's placement in Wewelsburg

The symbol that later became known as the "black sun" originated in the early 20th century, with the first depiction being the Wewelsburg mosaic. In 1933, Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, acquired Wewelsburg, a castle near Paderborn in the German region of Westphalia. Himmler intended to make the building into a center for the SS, and between 1936 and 1942, Himmler ordered the building expanded and rebuilt for ceremonial purposes. Himmler's remodeling included the Wewelsburg mosaic that was composed of twelve dark-green radially overlaid sig runes, such as those employed in the logo of the SS, on the white marble floor of the structure's north tower known as the "General's Hall" (Obergruppenführersaal). The intended significance of the image remains unknown.

Some scholars have suggested that the artist may have found inspiration from motifs found on decorative Merovingian period discs (Zierscheiben) from Central Europe, which have been suggested to represent the sun, or its passing through the year.

Neo-Nazism and far right

A leather belt with the black sun symbol as belt buckle. The item is from the 2010s.

In the late 20th century, the Black Sun symbol became widely used by neo-fascist, neo-Nazi, the far-right and white nationalists. The symbol often appears on extremist flags, t-shirts, posters, websites and in extremist publications associated with such groups. Modern far-right groups often refer to the symbol as the sun wheel or Sonnenrad.

The name "Black Sun" came into wider use after the publication of a 1991 occult thriller novel, Die Schwarze Sonne von Tashi Lhunpo (The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo), by the pseudonymous author Russell McCloud. The book links the Wewelsburg mosaic with the neo-Nazi concept of the "Black Sun", invented by former SS officer Wilhelm Landig as a substitute for the Nazi swastika and a symbol for a mystic energy source that was supposed to renew the Aryan race.

A number of far-right groups and individuals have utilised the symbol in their propaganda, including the perpetrator behind the Christchurch mosque shootings, Brenton Tarrant and Australian neo-Nazi group Antipodean Resistance, and the symbol was displayed by members of several extremist groups involved in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Along with other symbols from the Nazi era such as the Wolfsangel, the Sig Armanen rune, and the Totenkopf, the black sun is employed by some neo-Nazi adherents of Satanism. Scholar Chris Mathews writes:

The Black Sun motif is even less ambiguous. Though based on medieval German symbols, the Wewelsburg mosaic is a unique design commissioned specifically for Himmler, and its primary contemporary association is Nazi occultism, for which Nazi Satanic groups and esoteric neo-Nazis adopt it.

In May 2022, a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York occurred. The shooter, a white supremacist, wore the Black Sun symbol on his body armor and placed it on the front of his digital manifesto. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and influencers subsequently spread misinformation linking the shooter with the Azov Regiment and the Ukrainian nation more broadly. However, the shooter makes no reference to the Azov Regiment in his manifesto, and Ukraine receives only a single mention in a section plagiarized from an earlier mass shooter's manifesto that predates the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 1 September 2022, Fernando André Sabag Montiel, who has a Black Sun tattoo on his arm, attempted to assassinate Argentine vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

In July 2023, a member of the Ron DeSantis U.S. presidential campaign produced and shared a video on Twitter containing the Black Sun. The video was quickly retracted after garnering media attention and backlash, and the aide was fired.

Azov Brigade

Former badge of the Azov Brigade, which uses a Black Sun and a version of the wolfsangel in the forefront.

The Ukrainian military unit Azov Brigade, founded in 2014, used the symbol as part of its logo. Political scientist Ivan Gomza wrote in Krytyka that the Nazi connotations of the symbol in that logo are lost on most people in Ukraine, and the logo rather has an association with "a successful fighting unit that protects Ukraine." WotanJugend, a neo-Nazi group based in Kyiv and connected to the broader Azov political movement, has also used the Black Sun symbol to promote its group. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO tweeted a photo of a female Ukrainian soldier for International Women's Day. The soldier wore a symbol on her uniform that "appears to be the black sun symbol". After receiving complaints from social media users, NATO removed the tweet and stated "The post was removed when we realised it contained a symbol that we could not verify as official".

Other uses

According to Freedom House initiative Reporting Radicalism, the Black Sun is also used by some modern pagan and satanist groups as an esoteric symbol. They further note that it is sometimes used as a fashionable, aesthetic symbol, or misunderstood as having origins in ancient Scandinavian or Slavic cultures. The Anti-Defamation League notes that though the symbol is popular with white supremacists, imagery resembling the black sun features in many cultures, and should be analysed in the context it appears, and not necessarily interpreted as a sign of white supremacy or racism.

See also

References

Informational notes

  1. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke describes this "unique SS sun wheel design" as "a black disk surrounded by twelve radial sig-runes".
  2. According to Goodrick-Clarke, "t has been suggested that this twelve-spoke sun wheel derives from decorative disks from the Merovingians of the early medieval period and are supposed to represent the visible sun or its passage through the months of the year. These disks were discussed in scholarly publications during the Third Reich and may well have served the Wewelsburg designers as a model."

Citations

  1. Grumke & Wagner (2002), p. 207.
  2. Goodrick-Clarke (2002), p. 125.
  3. ^ Goodrick-Clarke (2002), p. 148.
  4. ^ Strube (2015), p. 339.
  5. ^ "Sonnenrad". Anti-Defamation League. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  6. ^ Goodrick-Clarke (2002), pp. 148–150.
  7. Siepe 2022, p. 144.
  8. Luhn, Alec (30 August 2014). "Preparing for War With Ukraine's Fascist Defenders of Freedom". Foreign Policy.
  9. Grumke & Wagner (2002), p. 219.
  10. Sources:
  11. Goodrick-Clarke (2002), p. 3.
  12. Sources:
  13. ^ Mathews (2009), p. 153.
  14. Lamoureux (2022).
  15. "Man who attempted to assassinate Argentine vice president has Nazi tattoo". Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  16. "A video retweeted by a DeSantis staffer stirred new controversy. Was there a Nazi symbol?". Yahoo! News. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  17. Thompson, Alex (25 July 2023). "DeSantis team fires aide who secretly made video with Nazi symbol". Axios.
  18. "Outrage as DeSantis Staffer 'Retweets' Nazi Symbol Video: 'Disgusting'". Newsweek. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  19. Cabral, Sam (July 26, 2023) "DeSantis campaign fires aide who shared clip with Nazi symbol" BBC News
  20. ^ Is the Azov Battalion a terrorist organization as 40 US House Democrats claim? Quote: "The Azov Battalion included the Black Sun in its emblem in 2014-2015, however, removed it later."
  21. "Azov fighters are Ukraine's greatest weapon and may be its greatest threat". the Guardian. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  22. "Guerre en Ukraine : quatre questions sur le régiment Azov, ce bataillon ukrainien accusé de compter des néonazis dans ses rangs". Franceinfo (in French). 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022. These are old emblems of the paramilitary group, still used by some soldiers, says Adrien Nonjon
  23. "Too Much Ado About Ukrainian Nationalists: the Azov Movement and the War in Ukraine, by Ivan Gomza". Krytyka. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  24. "A black sun symbol was used by the Christchurch shooter. I see it all over Europe". ABC News. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  25. Colborne, Michael (2 January 2020). "Dispatches From Asgardsrei: Ukraine's Annual Neo-Nazi Music Festival". bellingcat. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  26. O'Connor (2022).
  27. "Black Sun". Reporting Radicalism. Retrieved 17 October 2022.

Bibliography

External links

Categories: