The Earth Possessed by Demons: Witches, Healers, and Ghosts of the Past in Post-War Germany

This book is unique. American professor Monica Black not only addresses the post-war period in Germany but also examines the tragic pages of the past through the lens of the rise of witchcraft, folk healing, and increased interest in secret symbols and omens, providing a rational explanation for all these phenomena. As a historian, Monica Black seeks the roots of events in long-past times, discovering, for example, the tendency of the inhabitants of German lands towards witchcraft practices as early as the Middle Ages. Later, this inclination will manifest in the development of occult sciences in the Third Reich. The Germans' attraction to magical rituals and healing practitioners of all kinds after World War II seems quite logical in this context. The mass death of people, the collapse of the state, and a collective sense of guilt—all urged the citizens of the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany to seek support in the realm of the irrational.
The book is full of examples related to specific fates, the narrative is easy to perceive and is as captivating as any other mystical thriller.