2014 07 03 Journal of Transatlantic Studies - Vol 12 No 3 - Eghigian

Magazine Overview

Title: Journal of Transatlantic Studies
Issue Date: Published online: 08 Jul 2014
Article Title: ‘A transatlantic buzz': flying saucers, extraterrestrials and America in postwar Germany
Author: Greg Eghigian
Affiliation: Department of History, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA

This article examines the phenomenon of flying saucer sightings and discussions in postwar West and East Germany between 1946 and 1960. It explores how the mainstream press and public intellectuals interpreted these reports, considering the impact of Cold War geopolitics, American influence, and anti-American sentiments.

The 'Flying Saucer Era' and its German Reception

The period from 1946 to 1960 witnessed a wave of flying saucer reports on both sides of the Atlantic. While the phenomenon is often linked to the USA, this article focuses on its reception in Germany, a central theatre of the Cold War. The author argues that UFO sightings functioned as 'cyphers' for considering alien influences in postwar society and that the press was the primary source of information for the public.

The article traces the origins of this interest back to the 'Ghost Rocket Scare' of 1946, when thousands in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and northern Germany reported seeing strange, cigar-shaped or circular, wingless missiles with bright lights. These reports caught the attention of American and British intelligence communities, with some experts considering them real and possibly Soviet in origin.

Following the Second World War, UFO sightings became prominent in popular media, especially in the USA. By 1996, a Gallup poll indicated that a significant percentage of Americans believed in UFO visits. The article notes that while academic study of the UFO phenomenon has been scant, scholars like Brenda Denzler, Erich Goode, Alexander Wendt, and Raymond Duvall argue that UFO sightings represent complex social phenomena meriting examination.

Historical Context and Interpretations

The article highlights that UFO sightings have a history, with changing patterns in reports and conjectures. While early accounts in the late 1940s and early 1950s rarely involved physical encounters with aliens, the 1960s saw an increase in abduction stories. Scholars have often interpreted US UFO reports against the backdrop of the Cold War, seeing them as reflecting suspicions, exaggerations, and paranoias of the era. However, the global nature of the phenomenon and its spread through popular culture have been less studied.

This essay seeks to address how UFO sightings were reported and discussed in Germany, a key Cold War location. The period from the end of WWII to around 1960 is crucial as it coincides with the 'flying saucer era,' when the term 'flying saucer' became synonymous with strange airship sightings. Unlike later periods, film and UFO communities played a lesser role in shaping public perception; the press was the main conduit of information.

The 'Transatlantic Buzz' and Geopolitical Interpretations

Journalists and public intellectuals, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, debated the veracity of UFO claims and their broader meanings. The article posits that flying saucers carried meanings beyond their literal interpretation, reflecting anxieties about the looming Cold War and America's ascendancy. In Germany, UFOs were seen as a transatlantic phenomenon, prompting speculation about alien and foreign powers.

The arrival of flying saucers in Europe is linked to the 1946 Ghost Rocket Scare. The steady flow of news reports, military investigations, and speculative books, primarily from the USA, kept the topic alive. A pivotal event was Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting of nine odd-shaped aircraft in Washington state, which led to the widespread adoption of the terms 'flying saucer' and 'flying disk'.

While reports of strange airships date back to the nineteenth century, postwar accounts were influenced by the experience of WWII and the Cold War. The familiarity with V-rockets and the arms race led many to describe flying saucers with rocket-like features. Explanations often fell into two categories: weapons of foreign powers or natural phenomena and human misperception.

Western German press coverage of early UFO sightings largely followed these patterns. However, the consistency of features attributed to the aircraft with rockets and missiles, and the repeated use of terms like 'flying saucers,' set these reports apart. Sightings in Passau described elliptical objects with fiery tails and large lights, while mountain climbers reported observing objects crash and explode in the Pyrenees.

Early Postwar German Reactions and Explanations

When UFO reports began circulating in 1946 and 1947, they found fertile ground due to earlier precedents of understanding strange airships. These were often characterized by uncanny shapes and extraordinary movements. Explanations tended to focus on the possibility of foreign weapons or natural phenomena and human misperception, especially given the volatile political climate.

However, two aspects distinguished postwar reports. First, the features were consistent with rockets and missiles, leading to the terms 'flying saucers' and 'flying disks.' Second, these reports were directly influenced by the Second World War and the Cold War. The public was familiar with V-rockets and the quest for military superiority, making rocket-like descriptions of UFOs unsurprising. This context also led to common explanations: either the sightings were fabrications of over-heated imaginations, or they were captured V-rockets tested by the Soviet Union. The US intelligence community viewed flying saucers primarily as a security matter.

A piece in the weekly *Die Zeit* from August 1946 captured the German bemusement, questioning the existence of unknown aircraft in peacetime and linking sightings to America's atomic bomb tests as a potential 'warning shot' or display of power.

UFOs as an 'American Disease' and a Transatlantic Phenomenon

The article argues that UFOs became a 'material cypher' onto which anxieties about the Cold War and America's ascendancy could be projected. Despite limited knowledge, these objects exposed the precarious position of postwar Europeans. The earliest reports in postwar Germany rarely mentioned aliens, focusing instead on geopolitics, weather, and sensory perception. However, this began to change with reports from abroad, particularly the USA.

The first fatality associated with UFOs, the death of US Air Force pilot Thomas Mantell in January 1948 while pursuing a UFO, fueled speculation. Mantell's case, later attributed to him losing consciousness while chasing a balloon, was explained by officials as mistaking Venus for an aircraft, which helped fuel speculation about official misinformation.

Two books published in 1950 and 1953 garnered international attention: Donald Keyhoe's 'The Flying Saucers Are Real' and Desmond Leslie and George Adamski's 'Flying Saucers Have Landed.' Keyhoe argued that US authorities were covering up UFO investigations to prevent mass panic and concluded that flying saucers were interplanetary spaceships, that Earth had been under observation for centuries, and that atomic bomb explosions had increased extraterrestrial activity. Adamski's book recounted his encounter with a Venusian named Orthon and included a photograph of a flying saucer.

These books sold millions of copies and were translated into numerous languages, contributing to the birth of UFology. They introduced concepts like saucers being extraterrestrial in origin, linked to atomic weapons, and their occupants possessing arcane knowledge. They also promoted a new way of investigating UFOs by seeking classified information and questioning official explanations.

The stories of Arnold, Mantell, Keyhoe, and Adamski received regular press coverage in West Germany between 1950 and 1954. While most articles expressed skepticism, the reports caused consternation. An article in the *Mittelbayerischen Zeitung*, citing Keyhoe, suggested that the technology of these unknown beings matched American astronautical knowledge. Journalist Claus Jacobi noted in 1950 that the sheer number of sightings suggested 'something to this' phenomenon.

Esoteric and Occult Interpretations

By 1954, the question was no longer whether flying saucers existed, but what lay behind them. Reports of sightings in Germany and across Europe fueled speculation. Explanations ranged from optical illusions and unusual weather to the Cold War context, with suspicions of Soviet V-rocket technology or US nuclear weapons. Some saw UFOs as a manifestation of America's 'flying saucer disease,' linked to its consumer culture and anxieties about the USSR, which resonated with anti-American sentiments in Europe.

Astronomer Hans Haffner noted in 1954 that UFO reports had produced confusion, doubt, panic, and hysteria, contributing to the erosion of scientific rationality. Social critic Karl Bednarik viewed the UFO craze as a symptom of pervasive anxiety and postwar isolationism. Claus Jacobi, in April 1950, observed that flying saucers revealed a European solidarity based on shared fears, lamenting the rise of pipe dreams over ideas on the continent.

While National Socialism and WWII were not directly mentioned, concerned observers saw the spread of fear and irrationalism as potentially leading to violence. Stories of individuals firing at perceived UFOs were sometimes met with derision.

Journalist Grete von Urbanitzky saw a French farmer firing on an apparent UFO as a chilling statement about contemporary life, questioning humanity's response to the unfamiliar and its trust in technical achievements like the gun.

Flying saucers also promoted distrust towards authorities, with accusations of government and military obfuscation and conspiracy. Reports suggesting that UFOs were reconnaissance aircraft from another planet added to the mystery. The lack of reliable information and the furtiveness of superpowers left many in a state of perpetual puzzlement, with flying saucers often described as holding 'secrets' and posing 'riddles'.

UFOs as an Occult and Esoteric Phenomenon

For some, the cryptic nature of flying saucers was a source of marvel, seen as a harbinger or warning. These UFOs were believed to require interpretation, with meaning accessible only to the initiated. One writer speculated that flying saucers might hold the key to solving the world's energy problems, citing Viktor Schauberger's designs for a flying disk and implosion technologies.

Others pondered the sacred significance of UFOs. The idea of alien reconnaissance missions prompted questions about intelligent life on other planets and the theological implications of aliens, with some theologians considering possibilities of divine grace or sin for these beings.

Protestant and Catholic theologians in West Germany surveyed in 1954 did not rule out the prospect of intelligent, reasoning beings behind the sightings.

Some sought answers in the past, with Russian academic M.M. Agrest arguing that aliens had landed in Palestine during biblical times. Fantastic stories also emerged about German and Italian engineers claiming that Hitler and Mussolini had sponsored flying saucer technology development during WWII, leading to theories about Hitler's survival and testing of UFOs from bases in the Himalayas or South Pole.

Esoteric speculation also followed transatlantic colonial pathways, as exemplified by UFOlogist Edgar Sievers. Born in German South-West Africa (present-day Namibia), Sievers studied philosophy and psychology. After WWII, his interest in UFOs led him to join the British Flying Saucer Bureau. In 1955, Sievers published 'Flying Saucers Over South Africa,' his reflections on UFOs. He viewed UFOs as presenting riddles and questioned whether they were merely optical illusions, misunderstandings, or political machinations.

Sievers noted that flying saucer sightings created both believers and 'doubting Thomases,' dividing the world. He relied on books by Keyhoe, Leslie, and Adamski, as well as news reports. In his book, Sievers considered and dismissed natural explanations like weather and Soviet rocket testing, following the methods of other first-generation UFOlogists.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article consistently explores the intersection of UFO sightings with geopolitical anxieties, particularly those of the Cold War. It highlights how these sightings were interpreted through lenses of American influence, anti-American sentiment, and the broader cultural and psychological landscape of postwar Germany. The journal's stance appears to be one of analytical inquiry, presenting various interpretations and historical contexts of the UFO phenomenon without endorsing any particular explanation. The recurring themes include the role of the press, the impact of popular culture, the influence of geopolitical tensions, and the evolving nature of UFO explanations from terrestrial to extraterrestrial and even esoteric interpretations.

This document, comprising pages 291-300 of the *Journal of Transatlantic Studies*, focuses on the interpretation and reception of the flying saucer phenomenon in postwar Germany, particularly during the late 1940s and 1950s. It explores how UFO sightings were understood and debated within the specific geopolitical and cultural contexts of both West and East Germany, highlighting the influence of the Cold War, American culture, and societal anxieties.

West German Interpretations

The West German press provided a platform for diverse discussions on flying saucers. While skepticism was common, various perspectives emerged, including those that saw UFOs as a sign of technological advancement, a warning of impending catastrophe, or a symbol of hope. The article by Sievers is highlighted, who concluded that flying saucers represented visitation by extraterrestrial beings, or 'planetides,' whose messages were crucial for humanity's salvation, albeit often opaque. Sievers' interpretation was characterized as an eschatological and Christian reading, becoming a part of the repertoire of UFO narratives in the 1950s. However, mainstream press and public intellectuals often dismissed these stories as preposterous, attributing them to optical illusions, confabulations, or hoaxes, with popularizers of astronomy relegating claims of extraterrestrial visitations to the status of chimaeras. Wernher von Braun, the V-2 rocket engineer, is cited as an example of a figure who expressed disdain for such claims, advocating for scientific explanations over 'medieval methods of magic.'

Despite the skepticism, the West German press offered an open forum for weighing the reality and meaning of flying saucers. Journalists, scientists, engineers, government officials, and public intellectuals contributed a range of viewpoints. Some saw the craze as a sign of a disappearing world and a new one approaching, greeting it with nostalgia and alarm, linking it to an attempt to ameliorate societal 'profound dissatisfaction.' Others viewed it with optimism, seeing flying saucers as expanding human imagination and blurring the lines between fact and fiction, reality and utopia.

East German Perspectives

In contrast to West Germany, East German media, being strictly censored, presented a homogenized view of flying saucers, tailored for overtly political purposes. The coverage aimed to fit within a Marxist-Leninist global binary worldview, portraying America as an exploitative, warmongering, and conspiratorial force. Flying saucer sightings were often characterized as a 'manifestly American proclivity' and a 'popular delusion,' with articles suggesting that reports were deliberately spread by American military officials to extort money from taxpayers. The East German perspective often contrasted the perceived 'ballyhoo' surrounding American UFOs with the cultural achievements of the Soviet bloc, such as Sputnik.

The novel *Menetekel or The Flying Saucers* by Friedrich Wolf is discussed as a literary expression of this East German view. The novel depicts an American industrialist exploiting public fear of UFOs to sell bomb shelters, with the story serving as a modern allegory of American capitalism's cynical appetite for profit and domination. The novel also references famous UFO sightings and the James Forrestal incident, linking belief in flying saucers to American 'red-baiting' and the broader cold war hysteria.

East German commentators consistently appealed to stereotypes and communist doctrine to contrast American 'ballyhoo' with Soviet bloc cultural achievements. Newspapers like *Neue Zeit* criticized the 'West' for its 'superbombs' and 'filthy literature,' contrasting it with the GDR's focus on cultural participation for the working people.

Transatlantic Rumor and Early Interpretations

The phenomenon of flying saucers was understood as a transatlantic cold war rumor, with its meanings extending beyond the immediate cold war context. The term 'flying saucer' became an international meme, a 'black box' for classifying strange aerial phenomena. Information spread through various media, including word-of-mouth, press articles, novels, advertisements, comics, and films. The widespread assumption was that UFOs were products of foreign – either American or Soviet – technology.

Anthropologist Charles Ziegler's study of the Roswell crash suggests that UFO stories were transmitted and refined over time. While strange airship sightings had a history, the term 'flying saucer' quickly standardized the narrative. The media played a crucial role in shaping these accounts, providing a stabilizing narrative influence on the centrifugal forces of information coming from multiple sources.

Carl Jung's Analysis

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, in his 1958 monograph *A Modern Myth: Of Things Seen in the Sky*, approached flying saucers as a modern myth. He noted that the frequent, strange, and contradictory appearances of UFOs made them ideal objects for fantasy and speculation, offering insight into the state of mind of the contemporary world. Jung linked the phenomenon to American faddishness and the cold war, but also saw it as a manifestation of a desire for redemption in a world facing nuclear catastrophe. He described UFOs as a 'living myth' providing a symbolic rumor that expressed hope for salvation and wholeness, acting as a 'relatively rational and necessarily scientific cover' for expressing this hope.

Jung's work was generally well-received, but his perspective was colored by his analytical project and affinity for mystical experiences. His analysis captured the speculation and hope surrounding UFO sightings, offering a contrast to interpretations that solely emphasized the cold war roots of the phenomenon. The author notes that early German interpretations were more diverse than commonly acknowledged, not uniformly grounded in cold war fear and paranoia.

Geopolitical and Cultural Context

Geopolitics played a significant role in associating UFOs with America. The phenomenon was global and political, understood in relation to aerial warfare during World War II, Nazi V-rocket technology, and the Soviet capture of Peenemünde. The cold war and the threat of nuclear war were central to many interpretations. The article draws a comparison with Japan's reaction to the film *Gojira* (Godzilla), which also allowed for public questioning of American power and nuclear proliferation. However, anti-Americanism in West Germany was expressed in cultural terms, contrasting a 'sober and civilised Europe' with a 'fickle and superficial USA.' East Germany, conversely, used flying saucer sightings to underscore the legitimacy and superiority of its socialist state.

The flying saucer phenomenon in Germany is characterized as a transatlantic cold war rumor, notable for its durability and plasticity, giving it the weight of folklore and legend. These accounts offered multiple lessons for various audiences, often more subversive and populist than official versions.

The Nature of UFOs and Investigation

Political scientists Alexander Wendt and Raymond Duvall asserted that a 'UFO taboo' had squelched serious investigation, leading to consistent denial and silence from authorities. However, the case of postwar Germany suggests this 'taboo' was not as effective as other cultural taboos, given the extensive literature and public musings on the subject by journalists, intellectuals, scientists, and officials. The mysterious and random qualities of UFOs gave them a haunting aura that challenged national sovereignty, reinforcing the view that they were alien or foreign. The discipline of UFology, like anthropology, shared a mutual interest in understanding racial diversity and difference.

German observers, like others, were stirred by the alien nature of flying saucers, but their interest remained anchored in disquiet about the recent war and its cold aftermath. The flying saucer phenomenon functioned as a cypher for acknowledging, interpreting, and debating foreign – particularly American – influences on postwar societies that had lost much of their ability to shape their own collective fates.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes throughout the document include the pervasive influence of the Cold War on the interpretation of UFOs, the role of media in shaping public perception, the contrast between West and East German responses, and the cultural and geopolitical dimensions of the phenomenon. The editorial stance appears to be analytical and historical, aiming to provide a nuanced understanding of how flying saucers were perceived and debated in postwar Germany, moving beyond simplistic explanations and highlighting the complexity of these interpretations within their specific historical contexts. The document emphasizes that while the 'alien' nature of UFOs was intriguing, the primary anchor for German interest remained the recent war and its cold aftermath, with flying saucers serving as a lens through which to understand broader societal and international dynamics.

This document is an excerpt from the *Journal of Transatlantic Studies*, Volume 3, Issue 301, published in September 2014. It primarily consists of a detailed bibliography and extensive citations, focusing on the historical discourse surrounding UFOs and 'flying saucers'. The content is heavily weighted towards German-language sources from the 1950s and 1960s, reflecting a period of intense public and media interest in the phenomenon.

Content Analysis

The bulk of the document is a numbered list of references, indicating that this section is likely part of a larger academic article or book chapter exploring the cultural and historical context of UFO sightings. The references span a wide array of German newspapers and magazines, including:

• Die Zeit: Frequently cited for articles discussing 'Unter-tassen-Spuk' (flying saucer spook), 'panische Solidarität' (panic solidarity), and the 'himmlischen vogelfrei' (heavenly free birds).
• Hamburger Abendblatt: Cited for numerous articles on topics such as 'Marsmenschen unter Schutz' (Martians under protection), 'Sendboten ferner Welten' (envoys from distant worlds), and 'Das Leben im Weltall' (life in outer space).
• Mittelbayerische Zeitung: Referenced for its coverage of 'fliegende Untertassen' and specific sightings.
• Passauer Neue Presse: Appears in relation to 'fliegende Untertassen', 'Raumschiffe' (spaceships), and 'Marsmenschen'.
• Der Spiegel: Cited for articles like 'Geheimnisse: Die Untertassen-Saga' (Secrets: The Flying Saucer Saga) and 'Untertassen-Menschen: Absolute unverletzlich' (Flying Saucer People: Absolutely invulnerable).
• Berliner Zeitung: Included for articles on 'fliegende Untertassen', 'Untertassen-Menschen', and 'Marsmenschen'.
• Neue Zeit: Referenced for 'Siegeszug des Fragebogens' (triumph of the questionnaire) and 'Fliegende Untertasse' (flying saucer).

Beyond newspaper and magazine articles, the bibliography also includes references to books by authors such as Karl Bednarik, A.F. Marfeld, Leo Nitschmann, Siegfried Georg Fudalla, Hermann Bausinger, and notably, C.G. Jung. Jung's work, *Ein moderner Mythus: Von Dingen, die am Himmel gesehen werden* (A Modern Myth: Of Things Seen in the Skies), is extensively referenced, with citations to both its original German edition and the English translation, *Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies*. The document notes that Jung's book was translated by Richard Francis Carrington Hull and published in 1959.

Several specific incidents and discussions are highlighted through the citations:

• The prediction by Parisian spiritualist Madame Zaepffel that the 'secret of the flying saucers' would be revealed in 1955.
• Discussions about whether 'God came in a spaceship' ('Kam Gott im Weltraumschiff?').
• References to 'Hitler building flying saucers at the South Pole' ('Hitler baut am Südpol Untertassen').
• Mentions of 'Stalin disappearing without a trace' ('Stalin spurlos verschwunden').
• The citation of an article by Matthias Häusler and Jürgen Zimmerer concerning the concentration camps in 'Deutsch-Südwestafrika' (German South-West Africa) and the 'First Genocide of the Twentieth Century', suggesting a potential connection or comparative analysis with broader historical events.
• A reference to Ulrike Lindner's work on 'Transnational Movements between Colonial Empires: Migrant Workers from the British Cape Colony in the German Diamond Town Lüditzerbucht'.
• The citation of Edgar Sievers' book, *Flying Saucer über Südafrika: Zur Frage der Besuche aus dem Weltenraum* (Flying Saucer over South Africa: On the Question of Visits from Outer Space).
• Discussions related to Sputnik 2 and its orbit around Earth.
• The mention of 'The "Dollar Kings": Anti-Americanism in the GDR' by Thomas Haury.
• References to 'flying saucer' panics in Munich and related newspaper reports.

The document also includes a note on the contributor, Greg Eghigian, an Associate Professor of Modern History at Penn State University, specializing in the history of social deviance, psychiatric disorder, and the history of madness. His expertise suggests the academic context and rigor behind the compilation of these references.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme is the historical documentation and analysis of the 'flying saucer' phenomenon, particularly its portrayal in popular media and public discourse in post-war Germany. The extensive citations suggest an academic interest in how this topic was framed, debated, and sensationalized. The mention of 'pseudoarchaeology' by historian Garrett Fagan indicates a critical perspective on some of the more speculative interpretations of UFO phenomena. The inclusion of diverse sources, from mainstream newspapers to academic texts and even spiritualist predictions, points to a comprehensive approach to understanding the cultural impact and reception of the UFO narrative. The editorial stance appears to be one of scholarly inquiry, aiming to trace the origins and evolution of the 'flying saucer' mythos through primary source material.