Eckart's Ascent and the Roots of Anti-Semitism

Dietrich Eckart was born on March 20, 1868, in Neumarkt, near Nuremberg. His father, Christian Eckart, served as a royal notary in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

After losing his mother, Anna, at the age of ten, Eckart inherited a considerable fortune upon his father's death in 1895.

In 1899, he relocated to Berlin, where he became a playwright at the Prussian Royal Theater. This move afforded him crucial connections with the German elite.

Eckart gained fame in 1912 with his adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. The production was wildly successful, and he amassed both notoriety and wealth.

In Eckart's adaptation, the protagonist, Peer Gynt, is portrayed as a quintessential German hero thwarted by Jewish “trolls.” This anti-Semitic narrative and racial symbolism mark the earliest indications of Eckart's burgeoning racist ideology.

In Peer Gynt, Eckart first introduced the archetype of a German superhero, a motif that would recur throughout his works. He argued that Germans required a “savior” to guide them toward glory.

Eckart's envisioned “folk hero” created a utopian existence for the Germanic people through violent means. In his fantasy, society forgave the hero's transgressions, believing his mission justified any actions. This distorted worldview laid the groundwork for Eckart's anti-Semitic publication, the Auf gut Deutsch (In Plain German), where he first introduced the concept of a German “messiah.”

Eckart's beliefs were influenced by his association with the Thule Society, an occult group that propagated the notion of a superhuman race known as the “Aryans.” According to Thule, the Germanic populace descended from this ancient race, and mingling with Jews and other “inferior” races weakened the Germans.

In Munich's beer halls, Thule Society members convened regularly to disseminate their inhumane beliefs. They also held the Communists accountable for Germany's defeat in World War I, suspecting a “Jewish-Bolshevik” conspiracy aimed at world domination.

Recognizing the need for a broader appeal, Eckart and his associates established the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (German Workers Party), which later evolved into the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), commonly known as the Nazi Party.

The German military grew increasingly concerned about the rise of extreme right-wing and leftist factions, prompting them to send a spy to a DAP meeting in Munich to gather intelligence.

Hitler as Mentor

The spy, a former infantryman who had fought in World War I, was among many soldiers unable to come to terms with Germany's surrender. Captivated by Eckart's and the DAP members’ rhetoric, he opted not to report back but instead joined the discussion.

That spy was Adolf Hitler.

Like the DAP, he blamed Germany's defeat in World War I on the Bolsheviks, Jews, and Marxists. A natural orator, Hitler had the ability to command the attention of everyone present.

He mesmerized the entire beer hall. Eckart was deeply impressed by the young man's capacity to engage an audience. He had discovered his “German messiah.”

Thus, the “Hitler myth” was born.

Hitler epitomized the “folk hero” archetype: a commoner, a teetotaler, and a nonsmoker. Despite being two decades younger than Eckart, an immediate bond formed between them. The poet became a father figure to the soldier.

Eckart introduced Hitler to German high society, although Hitler's lack of refinement and his tendency to rant about Jews and Communists while eating bewildered his hosts.

Realizing he had to polish Hitler's image for broader acceptance, Eckart gifted him a suit and trench coat, provided books for his education, and tutored him in conversation and dining etiquette.

At the time, the German populace had not yet been indoctrinated with the belief that Jews were the primary culprits behind their misfortunes. Jews were integrated into society, having served in World War I as esteemed professors, government officials, business owners, and artists. Alienating Jews while advocating for a nationalist agenda was not favorable.

So, where did it all go awry?

The answer lies in Eckart's manipulation of media as a brainwashing tool for the masses. The Nazis later adopted Eckart’s propaganda strategies to control the media and facilitate the Holocaust.

The Creation of a Monster

In the nascent days of the Nazi movement, Hitler did not view himself as a leader but rather as an evangelist tasked with disseminating the Nazi message. He served as the party's mouthpiece, striving to enhance public acceptance of racist ideologies.

In December 1920, Eckart leveraged his connections to finance the Nazi party's official newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter, taking on the role of chief editor. He coined the phrase “Deutschland-Erwake,” meaning “Germany, wake up.”

Eckart envisioned Hitler as a Germanic chief who would restore the nation’s former glory and liberate it from oppression. In the newspaper, he referred to Hitler as the “Chosen Commander.”

This was a significant miscalculation.

Hitler's ego soared when he saw himself described in almost divine terms. An unsuccessful artist was now perceived as a “Messiah.”

In June 1921, the Nazi Party Chairman, Anton Drexler, suggested a merger with the Socialist Democratic Party, inciting Hitler's rage. He threatened to resign from the party, a move he knew was a bluff since he recognized his status as the party's star, buoyed by Eckart’s flattering portrayal.

Hitler’s resignation was a warning to the Nazi party about the potential loss of their key figure if they did not heed his desires. Early signs of his megalomania began to emerge, yet influential figures in German society chose to overlook his troubling transformation.

Ultimately, Hitler's gamble succeeded. With Eckart's persuasion, the Nazi party appointed Hitler as Chairman, and the proposed merger with the SDP was abandoned. However, Eckart soon regretted this decision.

Despite both being anti-Semites, Hitler and Eckart held contrasting views. Eckart regarded Jews as the antithesis of Aryans, asserting that both were necessary for one another's existence. He claimed it would be “the end of all times, if the Jewish people perished.”

In contrast, Hitler aimed for the total extermination of Jews, viewing Eckart’s perspective as overly pessimistic and wordy. He began to see Eckart as a mere rabble-rouser.

Hitler craved action; speeches and editorials were insufficient.

On October 28, 1922, Benito Mussolini and 30,000 fascists seized control in Italy. This coup served as a model for the Nazis' own ambitions.

Hermann Göring, a decorated veteran, urged Hitler to orchestrate a coup in Bavaria. Göring would later become one of Hitler's chief advisors and lead the Luftwaffe.

Eckart was unsettled by the coup plot, expressing his concerns and accusing Hitler of possessing a “messiah complex,” a notion ironically instilled in Hitler by Eckart himself.

Disturbing individuals with extreme anti-Semitic beliefs, such as Julius Streicher, joined the Nazi movement. Streicher would later play a role in promoting hatred towards Jews through his publication, Der Stürmer. He was executed by the Allies after World War II during the Nuremberg trials.

Eckart was appalled by figures like Streicher, wanting to rein in the chaos, but he had lost control.

By November 1923, on the eve of the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed Nazi attempt to seize power in Bavaria, Eckart and Hitler had grown apart.

Despite their differences, Eckart participated in the Beer Hall Putsch on November 9, 1923. After the failed coup, both he and Hitler were imprisoned in Landsberg Prison.

Due to health issues, Eckart was released from custody shortly after his arrest. He passed away from a heart attack in Berchtesgaden on December 26, 1923, never witnessing Hitler's rise.

Eckart had inadvertently created a Frankenstein monster. He likely recognized his blunder, but it was too late.

When Eckart died, the Nazi Party was struggling, but despite setbacks in the 1920s, they ascended to power in January 1933, dismantling democracy and the rule of law, enacting one of the most horrific genocides in history.

In retrospect, we are left to ponder: could Eckart have channeled his talents and connections for a more positive purpose?