James Pontolillo

The Black Sun Unveiled: Genesis and Development of a Modern National Socialist Mythos James Pontolillo

Publisher Marketing: In 1990 a new and unusual symbol called the Black Sun suddenly appeared in German neo-Nazi circles. It was identified with a sunwheel floor inlay said to have been venerated in occult ceremonies during the Second World War at Wewelsburg Castle, the secretive personal retreat of Nazi security chief Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler. Over the last twenty years the Black Sun has been transformed into a metaphorical comet blazing in the Northern sky, particularly among neo-Nazis with esoteric and occult leanings. An Internet search of the terms Black Sun, Schwarze Sonne (German), Sol Negro (Spanish), Soleil Noir (French) and Sol Niger (Latin) reveals the extent of its penetration into everyday aspects of far-right cultural life. The symbol appears on T-shirts, CD covers, flags, decorative household knickknacks, wristwatches, uniform insignia, tattoos, etc. In response to the phenomenal growth of interest in the Black Sun, several previous authors have weighed in on the topic of neo-Nazi occultism. While they have succeeded in producing much-needed general reviews, each author singularly failed when it came to addressing the mystery of the Black Sun itself. What is the origin of the Black Sun mythology? When was the Black Sun first identified with the Wewelsburg Castle sunwheel? What do current-day neo-Nazis believe about the Black Sun? Why have esoteric beliefs found traction among neo-Nazis? What does the Black Sun mythology hold for the future of National Socialism? This groundbreaking study provides answers to all of these questions.