Arno Schickedanz

The name "Schickedanz" is of German origin. While not an esoteric term with ancient roots, its historical context is crucial. "Schick" can relate to "sending" or "destiny," and "danz" to "dance" or "order." In this context, the surname's etymology offers no direct insight into the individual's ideological or historical impact.

Arno Schickedanz (27 December 1892 – 12 April 1945) was a German diplomat who held paramount positions in both the NSDAP Office of Foreign Affairs (APA) and the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (RMfdbO) of Nazi Germany. Both ministries he held positions in were under the command of Alfred Rosenberg, a friend since childhood and a leading Nazi theorist and ideologue. Schickedanz was a vehement antisemite, and his positions within Rosenberg's ministries often involved antisemitic...

The inclusion of Arno Schickedanz in an esoteric glossary, even tangentially through Blavatsky's historical notes, presents a disquieting challenge to our understanding of the esoteric. It forces a confrontation with the dark undercurrents that can coexist with or even be fueled by certain ideological frameworks, regardless of their ostensible spiritual or philosophical claims. Schickedanz, a figure deeply embedded in the machinery of Nazi persecution, operated under the patronage of Alfred Rosenberg, a man whose own writings, however distorted, attempted to weave a pseudo-esoteric narrative of Aryan supremacy and occultism.

This connection is not to suggest any inherent esoteric truth in Nazism, which was a perversion of spiritual and philosophical traditions. Rather, it highlights how corrupted ideologies can weaponize symbols and ideas, twisting them to serve destructive ends. The esoteric library, in its broadest sense, must acknowledge not only the light of wisdom but also the shadows cast by those who misuse knowledge. Mircea Eliade, in his studies of myth and religion, often cautioned against the facile appropriation of ancient symbols for modern political agendas, a phenomenon tragically exemplified by the Nazi regime.

Schickedanz's role in the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, a body tasked with the ideological subjugation and exploitation of conquered peoples, demonstrates a chilling practical application of warped worldview. It illustrates how abstract notions of racial purity or historical destiny, when divorced from any ethical grounding and amplified by state power, can translate into concrete atrocities. The esoteric pursuit, if it is to remain a path toward genuine liberation and understanding, must constantly guard against such ideological contamination, recognizing that the greatest dangers often lurk not in the unknown, but in the perversion of the known.

The very inclusion of such a figure, even in a historical footnote, compels us to consider the moral responsibilities that accompany any engagement with profound ideas. It asks whether the pursuit of esoteric knowledge can, in certain contexts, become a breeding ground for dangerous fanaticism if not tempered by compassion and critical self-reflection. The historical record, in this instance, serves as a somber lesson on the profound and often devastating consequences when esoteric aspirations are yoked to worldly power and prejudice.