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La Atlántida
English, German (translation)
- GenresNonfiction
190 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
7 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Jürgen Spanuth
7 books1 followerGerman protestant vicar and archaeological writer. Mostly known for his writings on Atlantis.
According his theories Atlantis was located in the vicinity of the Northern-German island Helgoland.
According his theories Atlantis was located in the vicinity of the Northern-German island Helgoland.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 1, 2016
This is a scholarly book that puts forward what appears to be a sensible theory regarding Atlantis. It probably convinces many people who encounter it through its extensive citations, reasonable tone, and lack of obviously outrageous claims like Atlanteans inventing television or being descended from Lemurs. As I understand it, however, it is not taken very seriously by scholars of antiquity or by anthropologists. The reasons for this are complicated, and as I am not an expert in the field I cannot be definitive, but with my own background I can offer some insight.
Fundamentally, the theory is this: the island of Atlantis that Plato was talking about in his dialogues was a real island existing just off the coast of Denmark/Germany, in what is now called the Heligoland Bight. The island, and its city, did sink beneath the ocean, but the culture associated with it continued in the form of the “North Sea Peoples” who spread throughout the continent in a massive emigration. Plato, who claimed all this happened 9000 years before him, had the date wrong, due to his source being Egyptian and the Egyptians using a lunar calendar. In fact, Spanuth places the fall of Atlantis about 1250 BC, a much more believable date for a human civilization, and one which coincides with the “Megalithic” culture of Northern Europe.
The author, Jürgen Spanuth, as the German Wikipedia tells us, was a priest who also studied Archaeology for a single semester. He also spent his youth in the SS, supporting efforts to extend National Socialism into the Lutheran Church in Schleswig-Holstein (in Northern Germany, the borderlands with Denmark). None of these facts contradict his theory, but then when we start checking those impressive-looking citations and the bibliography in the back in that light, our perception shifts. Much of his documentation is based on the researches of the SS-Ahnenerbe, the anthropological section of the SS, whose job was to find scientific support for the racist ideology of the Third Reich. Even this might not undermine his theory (after all, the Ahnenerbe were scholars, who may well have done legitimate research when given funding and opportunity), but close examination of his evidence begins to lead to the conclusion that the book is a carefully-coded argument in favor of Aryan supremacy.
To perceive this, it is important to observe the terminological shift Spanuth makes. Instead of speaking of “Aryans,” “Germanic” or “Nordic” people, he uses the term “North Sea Peoples.” But, he still ends up claiming that pretty much all civilized races descended from the North Sea Peoples (Aryans), including the Philistines, the Phoenicians, and the Spartans. In his narrative, only the Egyptians appear to have been non-Aryan, and even they evidently learned the use of writing from the North Sea Peoples. The North Sea Peoples developed sailing ships, large-scale architecture, advanced weapons technology, and other significant Bronze Age technologies, which then extended to the Mediterranean via trade.
Much of his argument also hinges upon a catastrophist interpretation that suggests that all “end of the world” narratives (such as Ragnarok) are based on a real event that drove the early North Sea Peoples from their home when the Earth entered a comet’s tail. This is less outrageous than Lemurs watching television, but does seem to depart from the consensus of ancient history, although Spanuth subtly deploys evidence to make it appear that scientists agree with him when what they appear to say is that it is remotely possible. When one realizes that the comet he chooses for this massive destruction is Halley’s Comet, those of us who witnessed its last appearance in 1986 will have to stifle laughter (though it was reputed to be more impressive in earlier sightings). He tries to make it appear that Halley’s comet just happens to appear at precisely the right year (based on its supposed regularity), but when allowing for the deviation in its actual appearances over that much time, it goes from being 1 chance in 75 to about 1 in 3.
In short, from a layman’s point of view, Spanuth seems pretty reasonable and convincing, but, as is often the case, his arguments have not stood up to more detailed analysis, and it appears that he had an agenda of redeeming SS-Ahnenerbe research into the primal importance of his birthplace when he wrote it. Probably, the book will fade into obscurity with time, although it’s always possible that the theory will be picked up and re-examined one of these years.
Fundamentally, the theory is this: the island of Atlantis that Plato was talking about in his dialogues was a real island existing just off the coast of Denmark/Germany, in what is now called the Heligoland Bight. The island, and its city, did sink beneath the ocean, but the culture associated with it continued in the form of the “North Sea Peoples” who spread throughout the continent in a massive emigration. Plato, who claimed all this happened 9000 years before him, had the date wrong, due to his source being Egyptian and the Egyptians using a lunar calendar. In fact, Spanuth places the fall of Atlantis about 1250 BC, a much more believable date for a human civilization, and one which coincides with the “Megalithic” culture of Northern Europe.
The author, Jürgen Spanuth, as the German Wikipedia tells us, was a priest who also studied Archaeology for a single semester. He also spent his youth in the SS, supporting efforts to extend National Socialism into the Lutheran Church in Schleswig-Holstein (in Northern Germany, the borderlands with Denmark). None of these facts contradict his theory, but then when we start checking those impressive-looking citations and the bibliography in the back in that light, our perception shifts. Much of his documentation is based on the researches of the SS-Ahnenerbe, the anthropological section of the SS, whose job was to find scientific support for the racist ideology of the Third Reich. Even this might not undermine his theory (after all, the Ahnenerbe were scholars, who may well have done legitimate research when given funding and opportunity), but close examination of his evidence begins to lead to the conclusion that the book is a carefully-coded argument in favor of Aryan supremacy.
To perceive this, it is important to observe the terminological shift Spanuth makes. Instead of speaking of “Aryans,” “Germanic” or “Nordic” people, he uses the term “North Sea Peoples.” But, he still ends up claiming that pretty much all civilized races descended from the North Sea Peoples (Aryans), including the Philistines, the Phoenicians, and the Spartans. In his narrative, only the Egyptians appear to have been non-Aryan, and even they evidently learned the use of writing from the North Sea Peoples. The North Sea Peoples developed sailing ships, large-scale architecture, advanced weapons technology, and other significant Bronze Age technologies, which then extended to the Mediterranean via trade.
Much of his argument also hinges upon a catastrophist interpretation that suggests that all “end of the world” narratives (such as Ragnarok) are based on a real event that drove the early North Sea Peoples from their home when the Earth entered a comet’s tail. This is less outrageous than Lemurs watching television, but does seem to depart from the consensus of ancient history, although Spanuth subtly deploys evidence to make it appear that scientists agree with him when what they appear to say is that it is remotely possible. When one realizes that the comet he chooses for this massive destruction is Halley’s Comet, those of us who witnessed its last appearance in 1986 will have to stifle laughter (though it was reputed to be more impressive in earlier sightings). He tries to make it appear that Halley’s comet just happens to appear at precisely the right year (based on its supposed regularity), but when allowing for the deviation in its actual appearances over that much time, it goes from being 1 chance in 75 to about 1 in 3.
In short, from a layman’s point of view, Spanuth seems pretty reasonable and convincing, but, as is often the case, his arguments have not stood up to more detailed analysis, and it appears that he had an agenda of redeeming SS-Ahnenerbe research into the primal importance of his birthplace when he wrote it. Probably, the book will fade into obscurity with time, although it’s always possible that the theory will be picked up and re-examined one of these years.
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July 25, 2022Ich fand die deutschsprachige Ausgabe in der Stadtbibliothek. Irgendwann werde ich sie noch in GR einstellen. Ich war jetzt überrascht, dass es auch eine englishsprachige Ausgabe gibt.
Spannuth, Pastor und Hobby-Archäologe in Norddeutschland, stellte die Hypothese auf, dass das sagenhafte Atlantik einst in der Nordsee lag, genauer auf Helgoland, dass in der Bronzezeit noch eine große Insel war. Ich war elektrisiert von dieser Behauptung, die Spannuth durchaus stichhaltig untermauern konnte, fand ich damals als Teenager. Und dass diese Atlanter auch Teil der Seevölker bildeten, denn Atlantis ging in der Epochenwende um 1200 v.u.Z. unter.
Unbestritten, dass nicht nur im Mittelmeer, sondern auch in Mitteleuropa Aufruhr herrschte, denn die mittlere Bronzezeit ging zu Ende und ein umfassender Kulturwandel fand statt.
Faszinierend, dass Spannuth auch auf die Übereinstimmungen der Schilderung von Atlantis bei Plato und dem Königssitz der Phäaken in der Odyssee hingewiesen hat, und sie auch in sein Erklärungsmodell eingebaut hat.
Seine Bücher waren umstritten, und Spannuth wurde in die rechte Ecke abgeschoben. Unbestritten, dass sein Atlantis vielen germanophil und völkisch denkenden gefällt. Zumal es schon damals die etablierte Vorgeschichtsforschung herausforderte.
Spannuth, Pastor und Hobby-Archäologe in Norddeutschland, stellte die Hypothese auf, dass das sagenhafte Atlantik einst in der Nordsee lag, genauer auf Helgoland, dass in der Bronzezeit noch eine große Insel war. Ich war elektrisiert von dieser Behauptung, die Spannuth durchaus stichhaltig untermauern konnte, fand ich damals als Teenager. Und dass diese Atlanter auch Teil der Seevölker bildeten, denn Atlantis ging in der Epochenwende um 1200 v.u.Z. unter.
Unbestritten, dass nicht nur im Mittelmeer, sondern auch in Mitteleuropa Aufruhr herrschte, denn die mittlere Bronzezeit ging zu Ende und ein umfassender Kulturwandel fand statt.
Faszinierend, dass Spannuth auch auf die Übereinstimmungen der Schilderung von Atlantis bei Plato und dem Königssitz der Phäaken in der Odyssee hingewiesen hat, und sie auch in sein Erklärungsmodell eingebaut hat.
Seine Bücher waren umstritten, und Spannuth wurde in die rechte Ecke abgeschoben. Unbestritten, dass sein Atlantis vielen germanophil und völkisch denkenden gefällt. Zumal es schon damals die etablierte Vorgeschichtsforschung herausforderte.
January 3, 2019
This book was eye opening. While I didn't follow him on every one of his points and arguments, I thought he made a strong case for a north Atlantic Atlantis based on the ancient sources themselves.
July 30, 2021
I have had two copies of this book because it is interesting and the facts presented are difficult to argue against. It is also easy to dismiss Spanuth's opinions and argument. Since he wrote the book, there has been much new evidence found which will tend to support his facts. When I was young the Grammar School I attended taught us "civilisation" began with the Greeks and Romans. We know now it did not but woe betide anyone at my school who argued that. Spanuth's education and his time in the SS would fill his head with similar conservative ideas and he may have looked for the facts to fit them.
Doggerland and rising sea levels may have left all kinds of folk memories which can now be supported by proper research. Similarly with Atlantis and King Arthur and a whole host of other interesting things which can be take out of mythology. Europe's Celtic cultural past does need continuing research as until recently I think much academic opinion unfairly dismissed it. This isn't to lessen the importance of the rest of the world cultures. There's an argument at the moment raging in Mexico at the moment about how important the Conquistadors were in overthrowing the Aztecs and did the local tribes just use them to overthrow their historic colonial masters. A great mistake on their part if they did.
Perhaps Spanuth, the Nazis and other German nationalist historians are just a difficult step on the way to a better understanding of history. It is difficult look at what they say in the shadow of 50 million dead and Auschwitz but no one seems to worry too much about the Nazi rocket scientists who set the space programmes going in the USA and the former Soviet Union.
Doggerland and rising sea levels may have left all kinds of folk memories which can now be supported by proper research. Similarly with Atlantis and King Arthur and a whole host of other interesting things which can be take out of mythology. Europe's Celtic cultural past does need continuing research as until recently I think much academic opinion unfairly dismissed it. This isn't to lessen the importance of the rest of the world cultures. There's an argument at the moment raging in Mexico at the moment about how important the Conquistadors were in overthrowing the Aztecs and did the local tribes just use them to overthrow their historic colonial masters. A great mistake on their part if they did.
Perhaps Spanuth, the Nazis and other German nationalist historians are just a difficult step on the way to a better understanding of history. It is difficult look at what they say in the shadow of 50 million dead and Auschwitz but no one seems to worry too much about the Nazi rocket scientists who set the space programmes going in the USA and the former Soviet Union.
January 13, 2021
The Sea Peoples
Alienne Laval on Sun Aug 23, 2015 2:28 pm
I do not think that “Atlantis” “sunk” at once, but successively, with at least three major catastrophes. The first so 15.000 BC, the second 7000 BC, the third ca. 2000 BC. All these catastrophes produced “sea peoples” who partly landed at the Nile Delta and the Levante.
The “esoterically” assumed date of the building of the Sphinx, the city foundations about 6000 BC, and the invasion of people from the north into Egypt that interrogation officers of Ramses II reported, correlate with these data, as Immanuel Velikovsky and Jürgen Spanuth saw:
http://magazin.spiegel.de/EpubDeliver...
The prisoners spoke of a West-Land that they called Atlant. They said they were Frisians, Saxons, and Danes, who had lost their home. They reported of a golden city, how the gates of the heavens opened, and all was covered by a mud flood. And they told about a red island, its green grassland, and the sandy beaches.
I rather think that there always had been two directions of migration, based on the mythological memory. At times people went to the south, at others they went north again. One cannot avoid the impression of some kind of pumping system.
—————————————————–
Strange coincidences:
The ship that Jürgen Spanuth chartered for his first Atlantis expedition was named “Meta”. Meta was the name of my first doll.
Not long ago I did some research work about the Queen of Atlantis and googled a few. I met a Japanese game side where it was stated that the last Queen of Atlantis had a daughter who lost her doll in the floods and cried her eyes out about this loss.
I did not like the eyes of my doll Meta.
Alienne Laval on Sun Aug 23, 2015 2:28 pm
I do not think that “Atlantis” “sunk” at once, but successively, with at least three major catastrophes. The first so 15.000 BC, the second 7000 BC, the third ca. 2000 BC. All these catastrophes produced “sea peoples” who partly landed at the Nile Delta and the Levante.
The “esoterically” assumed date of the building of the Sphinx, the city foundations about 6000 BC, and the invasion of people from the north into Egypt that interrogation officers of Ramses II reported, correlate with these data, as Immanuel Velikovsky and Jürgen Spanuth saw:
http://magazin.spiegel.de/EpubDeliver...
The prisoners spoke of a West-Land that they called Atlant. They said they were Frisians, Saxons, and Danes, who had lost their home. They reported of a golden city, how the gates of the heavens opened, and all was covered by a mud flood. And they told about a red island, its green grassland, and the sandy beaches.
I rather think that there always had been two directions of migration, based on the mythological memory. At times people went to the south, at others they went north again. One cannot avoid the impression of some kind of pumping system.
—————————————————–
Strange coincidences:
The ship that Jürgen Spanuth chartered for his first Atlantis expedition was named “Meta”. Meta was the name of my first doll.
Not long ago I did some research work about the Queen of Atlantis and googled a few. I met a Japanese game side where it was stated that the last Queen of Atlantis had a daughter who lost her doll in the floods and cried her eyes out about this loss.
I did not like the eyes of my doll Meta.
May 15, 2017
I read this more out of interest, rather than the archaeology as I'm in progress with an Atlantis related fantasy series and I picked it up second hand.
The book is well setup, has some interesting theories which the author argues extensively and some interesting ideas. However some of those arguments and supporting 'archaeology' are suspect if not way out there as may be expected from the title even for the 70's (stonehenge's origins were pretty cringeworthy).
In terms of geographical points he makes with ancient sources there are some very interesting points, but given the arguments and supporting arguments being thin, or wayward at best it has to be taken with many pinches of salt.
To be fair to the author it is a subject that is always going to be opinion driven and heavy reason and justification has been threaded through the book. Unfortunately it is a flawed concept that is always going to be viewed with suspicion with the evidence available and changing views as more evidence comes along (Orkney culture) for instance.
The book is well setup, has some interesting theories which the author argues extensively and some interesting ideas. However some of those arguments and supporting 'archaeology' are suspect if not way out there as may be expected from the title even for the 70's (stonehenge's origins were pretty cringeworthy).
In terms of geographical points he makes with ancient sources there are some very interesting points, but given the arguments and supporting arguments being thin, or wayward at best it has to be taken with many pinches of salt.
To be fair to the author it is a subject that is always going to be opinion driven and heavy reason and justification has been threaded through the book. Unfortunately it is a flawed concept that is always going to be viewed with suspicion with the evidence available and changing views as more evidence comes along (Orkney culture) for instance.
September 17, 2018
Interesting
June 28, 2019
Found it really interesting and was shocked that so few people have read this book! Well put together and stimulating.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews