Louis Pauwels Jacques Bergier

Born Yakov Mikhailovich Berger in Odessa in 1912, Jacques Bergier was a multifaceted individual who became a chemical engineer, a member of the French Resistance, a spy, a journalist, and a writer. His early life was marked by a nomadic upbringing due to the Russian Civil War, leading him to study Kabbalah and mathematics in Ukraine before his family relocated to France. In France, he pursued higher education, earning a degree in chemical engineering and working as an assistant to a prominent physicist. During World War II, Bergier was active in the French Resistance and later a prisoner in a concentration camp. He passed away in Paris in 1978.

Bergier is best known for his collaboration with Louis Pauwels on the influential book 'The Morning of the Magicians', published in 1960. This work, described by the authors as 'fantastic realism,' explored the supposed impact of occultism and secret societies on historical events and suggested a link between alchemy and nuclear physics. The book achieved significant popularity, particularly among youth culture, and inspired a genre of literature examining themes like the occult connections to Nazism. Bergier and Pauwels also co-authored other books and produced the journal 'Planète,' which delved into esoteric subjects. Bergier also published a work on extraterrestrials and UFOs.

Jacques Bergier, originally Yakov Mikhailovich Berger, was born in Odessa in 1912 to a Jewish family. His early years were shaped by his parents' backgrounds and familial connections, including a revolutionary mother and a grand-uncle described as a rabbi. Following the Russian Civil War, his family sought refuge in Ukraine, where he attended a Talmudic school and developed an interest in Kabbalah, mathematics, and science fiction. The family later moved to France in 1925, where Bergier pursued advanced studies in mathematics and chemistry, ultimately graduating as a chemical engineer. He also worked as an assistant to French atomic physicist André Helbronner.

During World War II, Bergier was involved with the Réseau Marco-Polo, a French Resistance network. His wartime experiences included incarceration in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp from 1944 to 1945. After the war, in 1954, Bergier met writer and editor Louis Pauwels. This meeting led to their significant collaboration on 'Le Matin des Magiciens' ('The Morning of the Magicians'), published in 1960. This book explored the intersection of occultism, history, and science, proposing a concept they termed 'fantastic realism'.

The collaboration between Bergier and Pauwels resulted in several influential works. 'The Morning of the Magicians' explored themes such as the hidden influences of secret societies on political events and posited that early alchemists possessed knowledge akin to modern nuclear physics. The book resonated widely, influencing youth culture and giving rise to explorations of occultism and its alleged connections to historical phenomena, including Nazism. Bergier and Pauwels also co-authored 'Impossible Possibilities' and 'The Eternal Man,' and co-produced the journal 'Planète,' which focused on esoteric subjects. Bergier also delved into the topic of extraterrestrial life, publishing 'Les extra-terrestres dans l'Histoire' ('The extraterrestrials in history').

“I am not a legend.”