Prompt Cast
The Nazi Search for the Holy Grail and the Tragic Story of Otto Rahn
TLDR Otto Rahn, a German archaeologist, became involved in the Nazi search for the Holy Grail and conducted expeditions and research for the SS. However, he eventually became disillusioned and resigned, leading to his mysterious death shortly after.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Otto Rahn, a German archaeologist, was introduced to the Cathars and became involved in the real-life Nazi search for the Holy Grail.
01:23
The Cathars were a religious movement in southern France and northern Italy with a belief system that differed from Orthodox Christianity, including the belief in two opposing deities and the rejection of sexual reproduction.
02:29
Otto Rahn became obsessed with the Cathars and believed they were the last group to possess the Holy Grail, leading him to search for it at Montsegur Castle in Languedoc, France.
03:39
Otto Rahn wrote a book called "Crusade Against the Grail" which caught the attention of Heinrich Himmler, the head of the German SS, who was also a fan of the Holy Grail and had a personal citadel with a grail room.
04:53
Otto Rahn, despite being an open homosexual in Nazi Germany, was protected by Heinrich Himmler due to his theories on the Holy Grail and was offered sponsorship and support for his research and expeditions in exchange for joining the SS.
06:04
Otto Rahn joined the SS and conducted expeditions and research for them, including searching for the Holy Grail and studying the Cathars, but eventually became disillusioned and resigned due to the atrocities he witnessed at the Dachau concentration camp.
07:20
Otto Rahn's resignation from the SS led to him becoming a wanted man by the Gestapo, and shortly after his resignation, his body was found frozen on a mountain in Austria, with mystery surrounding his death ever since.
