De Wohl, Louis (1903-1961)
De Wohl, Louis (1903-1961)
German-born astrologer who escaped to Britain from the Nazis and played a prominent part in the British psychological warfare campaign. Born January 24, 1903, in Berlin, as Ludwig von Wohl, he was a novelist, journalist, and film scriptwriter shortly before Hitler came to power. He learned astrology from Baron Harald Keun von Hoogerwoerd and became a professional astrologer. In 1937, he wrote I Follow My Stars. In his book The Stars of War and Peace (1952), de Wohl states that in 1935 he was invited to advise members of the Nazi party on astrological matters. He escaped to Britain as a refugee in the same year, where he practiced as an astrologer and wrote books on the subject.
Because of his inside knowledge of the German astrological scene and Hitler's astrologer Karl Ernest Krafft, he was recruited by British intelligence and served with the rank of captain, taking part in psychological warfare projects that used astrology to further the Allied cause. One of the special projects on which de Wohl worked was a fake edition of the prophecies of Nostradamus, used to spread subversive rumors in Germany. He died in Lucerne, Switzerland, June 2, 1961.
Sources:
Howe, Ellic. Astrology & Psychological Warfare during World War II. Reprinted as Urania's Children. N.p., n.d.