UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION
‘Der Meister' Guido von List and the Controversy of ‘von'.
by Victor Ordell L. Kasen
First written 2002, now expanded September 2006.
Version 8.9
Guido von List was born Guido Karl Anton List in Vienna , Austria, on October 5th 1848 to Karl Anton (August) List and Maria List. He was the eldest son of a prosperous middle-class family.
His father, Karl Anton (August) List, was an affluent trader in leather goods of various items including horse saddles while his mother, Maria List (nee Killian), was the daughter of a one Franz Anton Killian, a builder's merchant whom, during the anti-royalist revolution of 1848, commanded the First Vienna Civil Defence. List's grandfather, Karl List, had been an inn keeper and vintner by trade while his great-grandfather had also owned an inn. [1]
It was in the early part of the 20th century, the early 1900's, between 1903 and 1907 that List added to his name and made use of the aristocratic noble title of ‘von'. It is believed that Guido von List did this to distance himself from his middle-class upbringing while his writings, beliefs, ideas and rapidly mounting influence started to appeal to a far more aristocratic and ‘upper-class' group of people. This influence in following and support is shown by looking at the list of “signatories of the first announcement concerning support for a ‘Guido von List Society' (Guido-von-List-Gesellschaft), Circa 1905.” [2] [2a]- This signatory list is also linked, under the title of ‘The Influence of Guido von List'
By the turn of the century List had achieved modest success as a writer in the idiom of contemporary neo-romantic and nationalistic genres. His writings focused on the past and religious mythology of his native country. The year 1902 witnessed a fundamental change change in the character of his ideas: occult notions nowentered his fantasy of the ancient Germanic faith. After undergoing an eye operation to relieve a cateract in 1902, List was blinded for eleven months.Throughout a long and anxious period of enforced rest, he he took solace in pondering the origins of the runes and language. [2b]
In April of 1903 List sent a manuscript about the Aryan proto-language to the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Viena. This document set out the idea of a monumental pseudo-science concerned with Germanic linguistics and symbology: it was his first attempt to interpret, by means of occult insight, the letters and sounds of the runes and alphabet on the one hand, and the emblems and glyphs of ancient inscriptions on the other. Although the Academy return his manuscript with no comment, this slight piece grew over the ensuing decade to become the masterpiece og his occult-nationalisticresearches.[2c]
During 1907 Guido von List actually added the title of ‘von' to his name into the address-book of his birthplace, the capital of Austria, Vienna. However, the entry made by List came to the attention of the nobility archive who called for an official enquiry into the legitimacy of its use by List. It was on October 2nd 1907, before magistrates at the hearing, that Guido von List stated that his family had rightful links to Lower Austrian and Styrian aristocracy.
During the hearing Guido von List declared that his great-grandfather had “abandoned the title upon entering a burgher trade (inn keeper), but that he, Guido von List, had resumed the title after leaving commerce for a literary career in 1878. In support of his title List produced a signet ring, which his great grand-father had allegedly worn. This bore a coat-of-arms displaying two rampant foxes upon a quartered field, which was the blazon of the twelfth-century knight, Burckhardt von List, according to an old chronicle.” [3] [1]
English scholar Nicholas Goodrich-Clarke has said that 'Despite the rebuff of his article on Germanic linguistics and symbology, by the Imperial Academy, List's fortunes changed. In december 1904 Rudolf Berger, a committee member of the 'German Nationalist Workers League in Vienna, raised the matter in parliament and demanded an explanation of List's treatment from the Minister for Culture and Education. This interpellation was signed by fifteen Viennese dignitaries (which was reprinted on pages 16-31 in the 1900 publication of his book 'Der Wiederaufbau von Carnuntum'). No redress from the Academy rgarding this manuscript was forthcoming, but the uproar led the supporters of List to moot the founding of a List society (Guido-von-List-Gesellschaft),. which which would finance and publish a format series of List's 'researches' into the ancient nationalistic past. Both this incident and the proposition demonstrate the significant appeal of List's ideas to Pan-Germans and occultists alike.' Again, see 'The Influence of Guido von List'
Goodrich-Clarke has also stated that it is possible that List did possess a claim to nobility. (page 42)
Johannes Balzli, in his book "Guido v. List: Der Wiederentdecker Uralter Arischer Weisheit - Sein Leben und sein Schaffen." ("Guido v. List - The Rediscoverer of Ancient Aryan Wisdom - His Life and His Work.") that was published in 1917, discussed this very topic on List's name on pages 11 through to 12. Balzli (in text format) states that:
"
Isle of Sylt with the town 'List'
Just like 'tlis', the 'istl' (from behind 'ltsi') is a riddleword that
is hard to fathom, which might as well be contained in the lost or maimed
name of a town/village. The word 'ilts = Ilz' points to a sideriver of the
Donau, the Ilz near Passau in Bavaria. - And strangely near Reichenhall in
Bavaria the 'Listsee' is found. That is already teh transition to the new
forms of naming from a time, in which the kind of the origin of the name
was already forgotten. This name 'Listsee' starts a long row of names for
towns and places connected with 'List', which testifies that the 'List'
occured namegiving and not nametaking. Among others you find the 'Listhöfe'
in 'Niederösterreich', the 'List-Äcker', 'Listhuben', 'Listwälder', the
'Passo Listino' at the Adamello Group, etc. etc. - Yes, you can easily follow
the trail of the gender 'List' from the isle of Sylt and its 'Listsund' through
all of Europe across the 'Balkan', the 'Appeninen', the Pyrenees, through
France, England, etc. on the maps.
The first ‘List' to be actually mentioned by name, was Herr ‘Burckardt von List', Knight of Uthausen [4], Rackith [5] and Radis [6], who, on the ninth German Tournament “in the German Nation of Duke/Herzog Rudolph Saren, for and to please his Uncle, dem Raugrafen [7] to Kassel [8], to Göttngen [9] in the year 1119 under Kaiser Heinrich V. on Sunday after the holy day of Ullr, or 6 November”, ...
Coat of Arms Guido v. List
... in-ridden was (Gabriel Bucelinus: Germania Topo-Chrono-Stemmato-Graphica, Sacra & Profana. I. ( Nuremberg , 1655, II. Ulm 1662, III. 1672, iv. 1678 fol) CLARKE 1655-78); ) The Coat of Arms of ‘List' shows the rising black fox on Gold in the first and fourth quarter. The second and third field, thrice divided in red and silver. The crowned helmet shows the rising black fox in between two flights, thrice divided in red and silver. The helmet covers are black-gold on the right and red-silver on the left side.
That solves (itself) and reads like the following: The shield says: fuartfos or:
Deepest finding of the 'Urlustswillensoffenbarungszeugung.'
That solves (itself) and reads like the following: The shield says: fuartfosor:
Deepest Finding of the ‘Urlustswillensoffenbarungszeugung.' ()
T.itel ruoth zeolvar: Schösungsanteil am Redyt zielsührend.
Das (That)Kleinod (previous gem) behauptet (states):
uachsand fuart fos - thuo slingal tri tel ruoth zeolvar:
Waxing (growing) deepest delving (gaining knowledge) into the 'Urlustsoffenbarung' - (Ich) do after the wisdom of the 'Ariarita' take part in the creation of right (law) goaldriven.
That makes this Coat of Arms an 'Armanenwappen' (Coat of Arms or Coat of Arms of an Armanen) and in that a 'Femanenwappen'; it says that deepest delving (gaining knowledge) into the 'Urlustswillensoffenbarungszeugung' is leading to a goal when applied in the act of creating right (law).
The 'Zimier' or 'Helmkleinod' (kleinod a word for very previous jewel or gem) states: After deepest delving (gaining knowledge) into the 'Urlustswillensoffenbarungszeugung' do I after the wisdom of the Ararita take part in the creation of right (law) and lead it to an end.,"
Conclusion
This article isn't to say whether it was legitimate or not but what I hope this does is to give a more in-depth look into this controversy rather than just mere speculation. After all, to make an intelligent and educated decision you need to look at both sides of a story and to look into this subject, as with any, with an open and unbiased mind. Importantly, it also must be noted that the law never, nor the authorities or nobility archive, required Guido von List to remove the title from his name and was never, to this day, taken from him.
A discussion on the above Listian 'Coat of Arms' will be coming soon...
Alaf Sal Fena!
Victor Ordell L. Kasen
NOTES
1– The Occult Roots of Nazism by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke , pages 41-42 and notes on page 232; ISBN: 0814730604
2 - A list of the signatories is printed in GLB ( Guido-List-Bücherei ) 3 (1908), [p.197f]. GLB is a series (eight in total beginning in 1908) of " Ario - Germanic research reports" which were based upon his occult interpretations of ancient national Germanic culture. Six of these volumes were published by the Guido von list Society itself. The two exceptions were first published by Adolf Burdeke in Switzerland and Leipzig .
2a - Membership lists are printed in GLB 2 (1908), pp. 71-4 and GLB 5 (1910), pp. 384-9. The articles of the List society are printed in GLB 1, second edition (1923), pp. 68-78. Karl Herzog joined the society circa 1912. Karl Herzog to Philipp Stauff, letter dated February 3rd 1912 , Bundesarchiv , Koblenz , NS26/512a
2b - Balzli, op. cit, p. 35f of "Guido v. List: Der Wiederentdecker Uralter Arischer Weisheit - Sein Leben und sein Schaffen"; 'Die alten Götter - das alte Recht', Irminsul 10 (1978), Heft 5.
2c - Guido List, 'Die Ursprache der Arier, deren Schrift und Heilszeichen', manuscript dated circa 1903, Bundesarchiv, Koblenz, NS26/1244. An account of the manuscript's submission to the Academy and its reception is printed in the published edition. Guido List, Die Ursprache der Ario-Germanen und ihre Mysteriensprache (Leipzig and Vienna, [1914], pp. 1-8.)
3– Balzli , pages 11-12 of "Guido v. List: Der Wiederentdecker Uralter Arischer Weisheit - Sein Leben und sein Schaffen" and Balzli, op. cit, p. 11f. The old Germanic chronicle was 'Gabriel Bucelinus: Germania Topo-Chrono-Stemmato-Graphica' (Nuremberg, 1655-78);
Also see the English translation of 'Das Geheimnis der Runen' by Stephen E. Flowers, page 10.
[4] - Uthausen is a community in Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt , Germany . The community belongs to the administrative community (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Kemberg whose seat is in the town of Kemberg .
[5] - Rackith is a community in Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt , Germany . The community belongs to the administrative community (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Kemberg whose seat is in the town of Kemberg .
[6] - Radis is a community in Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany . The community belongs to the administrative community (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Kemberg whose seat is in the town of Kemberg .
[7] – Raugrave - A Raugraf , or Raugrave only held jurisdiction over waste ground and uninhabited districts. The title was originally owned by Graf Emich I, of a minor Frankish noble dynasty from the 12th century whose sons split the dynasty into Raugrafen and Wildgrafen . The dynasty died out in the 18th century . [1] The title was taken over after Elector Palatine Karl Ludwig I had purchased the estates, and after 1667 owned by the children from the Elector's bigamous (morganatic) second marriage and Karl's wife, Marie Louise von Degenfeld.
REFERENCES
- von List, Guido - ‘Das Geheimnis der Runen' (The Secret of the Runes), Vienna 1902.
- von List, Guido - ‘The Secret of the Runes' (Das Geheimnis der Runen ) (English translation), Vienna 1902. ISBN: 0892812079
- Balzli, Johannes - ‘Guido v. List. Der Wiederentdecker uralter arischer Weisheit (Leizig and Vienna, 1917) '
- Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas - ‘The Occult Roots of Nazism'. ISBN: 0814730604
- Wikipedia encyclopedia article, ‘Guido von List'.
- The Occult History of the Third Reich, DVD. ASIN: B00020HC72
Das Geheimnis der Runen (The Secret of the Runes; GvLB no. 1, 1908) = a study of the political and magical power of the runes
GLB 2a and 2b = a study of the political authority and organisation of the Wotanist priesthood (the Armanenschaft)
GLB 3 and 4= esoteric interpretations of folklore and place-names
GLB 5 = glossary of secret Aryan messages in hierolglyphs and heraldic devices
GLB6 = 1914 materpiece of occult linguistics and symbology