We deeply regret to announce that the Most Illustrious Brother, Karl
Johannes Germer, Fra\ Saturnus, X° O.T.O., O.H.O., Rex Summus
Sanktissimus, died on 25 October 1962 in Westpoint, California.
Requiescat in Pace!
His journey on this earth was not an ordinary one. After Karl Johannes
Germer completed his studies in Germany, he went to Paris where he
studied 6 semesters at the Sorbonne. After a period of time in England
he subsequently travelled throughout Russia and was caught by surprise
there at the age of 29 by the outbreak of World War I. He managed
however to escape in time to Germany. For his special services he was
awarded with the highest decorations and earned the Iron Cross, Ist and
2nd Class. At the beginning of the 1920's he was engaged in a leading
position in the Barth publishing house in Munich. We have him to thank
for the publication of the well-known "Pansophia" series. At that time
there were various reprinting of rare and sought after esoteric and
alchemist writings in connection with the Pansophist Movement. The most
famous of these was this translation from the English original into
German of Dr. Franz Hartmann's "Rosicrucian Lessons or Simple ABC
Booklet for Young Pupils", in which he also assisted in the
publication. Cooperating closely with [Heinrich] Tränker (Fra\ Recnartus), he
translated several works of Master Therion from English to German, as
for example, "One Star in Sight" and extracts from "Liber Thisarb", the
article describing Master Therion's Ordeal in Abyssus and various other
popular works, resulting in the historic meeting in 1925 in Weida,
Thuringia at the home of Tranker. He thereby made the acquaintance of
Aleister Crowley. Various circumstances and conflicts had split the
then-existing Pansophist German groups and the important leaders
gathered about Master Therion. (There are extensive archives of
authentic material concerning the struggles of this period). Since that
time Fra\ Saturnus never separated from Master Therion and, together
with Martha Kuntzel (Sor\ I.W.E.) and several others, his zealous
work for Thelema resulted in 1929 in the establishment of the Thelema
Publishing Company in Leipzig. Published were: "Book 4 Part I Mystics,
Part II Magic", "A Report on the Great White Brotherhood", "Science and
Buddhism", "The Message of Master Therion", "The Wake World",
"Berashith", "A commentary on H.P. Blavatsky's 'Voice of Silence'",
"The Three Schools of Magic". During the period 1925-1935 he lived and
studied together with Master Therion, during which time the
"Tunis-Working" also appeared. He returned to England with Master
Therion and, during a visit to Germany in 1935, was arrested by the
Gestapo because of his High Masonic Degree (33°). He was transported to
the Alexanderplatz Prison in Berlin and he there experienced all the
horrors of the Nazi inquisition. During 6 weeks of solitary confinement
on bread and water he recited the Holy Books from beginning to end and
from end to beginning. Such was his behavior during torment and
torture, resulting in his "enlightenment". They tried by everey method
to attack him and draw from him the secrets of the Order. Thanks to his
enlightenment, he stood fast. He was then sent to the infamous
Esterwegen concentration camp where the Moorish soldiers of Wolfgang
Langhoff originated. There also, his "Holy Guardian Angel" appeared and
told him how everything would be resolved. After 10 months he was
suddenly released. It was then that his book, "I was a Prisoner",
appeared. He fled to the Belgian border and lived in Brussels until he
was once again on 10 may 1940 arrested by the Belgians and transported
to France. There he was rearrested and spent 10 months in a
concentration camp until June, 1941, when he emigrated to the United
States. There, he assumed the office of General Grand Treasurer of the
Order. He worked indefatiguably for the great work of Thelema, the
liberation of mankind from tyranny and the enlightenment from
superstition. Surely he was sometimes unfair, and there were many
disagreements among the Brothers. But from his point of view there was
nothing good enough for the work of Thelema. Superficially, one could
chalk up mistakes to him which crystallized as a result of the
struggles, but inwardly he had a fatherly understanding and was of the
finest sensitivity. Certainly not an ordinary man, no sacrifice was too
great for the Order. He did not wish to be invested with him, not even
self-abnegation, for the work of titles. Titles of the Order and other
honors were abhorrent to him. He wished to remain unrecognized and
expressly forbade, wherever possible the use of his name. He was the
one whom Master Therion first provided the means (1941 to 1947) to
carry on the work, although often it was literally "by the sweat of his
brow". In his Testament, Master Therion, Edward Alexander Crowley,
named him as his successor and worldly and spiritual heir. Thus did
Karl Johannes Germer inherit as O.H.O. of the Ordo Templi Orientis all
of the publishing rights and other powers in connection therewith. In
addition to his ring, Master Therion left him his ashes which were
transferred to him under a 100 year old tree in the garden of what
was then the "White House" at Hampton, New Jersey. Nothing is
everlasting and Karl Johannes Germer moved to Jackson in 1956,
presumably according to the ancient law so that the feet of man will
carry him to the place where his head lies. There, after still further
brotherly struggles with other members of the Order and other
correspondents who were interested in the work of the Order and the
literary testament of Master Therion, he left this world on 25 October
1962. When one understands what the work of Thelema as established by
Master Therion can be, what it can say to the world and what it
attempts to understand, what this signifies for a single human being to
master this work and the importance of the Order, one can then
appreciate that Fra\ Saturnus fulfilled his duties to the best of his
knowledge and ability, even when he did not always do that which was
expected of him. That we may partake of his knowledge and be led in his
ways, we do him honor and wish him the "honor of his ashes", so may his
true will be done. He left his wife who was his comrade in the struggle
and who, throughout his life, fought for the work of Thelema.
To all Sovereign Sanctuaries in friendship with the Sovereign Sanctuary
of the Ordo Templi Orientis.
Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the Law.
We, Grand Secretary General of the Sovereign Sanctuary of the Ordo
Templi Orientis, hereby give due Notice to all Sovereign Sanctuaries
and Bodies in friendship with the Sovereign Sanctuary of the Ordo
Templi Orientis and to all Members of the said Rite, that the lamented
Most Illustrious Frater Superior of the Ordo Templi Orientis, Frater
Saturnus (Karl Johannes Germer) Outer Head of Order, departed this
earthly life and was called to the Grand East on Oct. 25th, 1962, E.V.,
and that a convocation of Prince Patriarch Grand Conservators of the
said Rite on Jan. 6th, 1963, E,V. held in the Abbey Thelema,
Stein/App., unanimously elected the Very Illustrious + H. Josephus
M\, Fra\ Paragranus, Grand Master X° of the Ordo Templi Orientis,
Sovereign Grand Master General of Ordo Illuminatorum, Sovereign Grand
Master General of Fraternitas Rosicruciana Antiqua, and Sovereign
Patriarch of Ecclesiae Gnosticae Catholicae henceforth to be Sovereign
Grand Master General, Outer Head of Order of the Ordo Templi Orientis.
We further hereby give due notice of the following appointments:
Fra\ Romanus - Grand Treasurer General
Fra\ Hilarius - Grand Administrator General
Fra\ Elieser - Grand Master General of Ceremonies
Fra\ Thaddäus - Grand Secretary General
Fra\ Nathan - Grand Chancellor General
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
Fra\ Thaddäus
Grand Secretary General
IX° O.T.O.
To all Sovereign Sanctuaries in friendship with the Ordo Templi
Orientis and to all Members of the Order.
Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the Law.
As the succession and choice has fallen to us, We humbly accept the
office in order to guarantee the sovereignty and integrity of the Order
and the work of Thelema and to carry on the work of Thelema in Peace,
Love and Light under the Law of Thelema. Our first wish to all
Sovereign sanctuaries and Members of the Order is:
Love ist the Law, Love under Will.
+ H. Josephus M\
Fra\ Paragranus X° O.T.O.
More about Thelema in Stein
The Psychosophische Gesellschaft
To another biography on Karl Germer
Karl Germer's own autobiographical
outline
Karl Germer and the FBI-files: The Templar's Reich
Of Booksellers And Other Grand Masters of the
O.T.O.: Detailed biographies on
Heinrich Tränker, Karl Germer, Henri Birven, Spencer Lewis, C.H.
Petersen, Eduard Munninger -- and their relation with the O.T.O. under
Reuss, Crowley and Metzger -- containing Henri Birven's "Obituary on
Karl Germer" with interesting details about Crowley in Berlin in 1930
Friedrich Mellinger played a role in Metzger's
OHO-election
To the main page of Photographs and Documents
Minutes of the Special
Ninth Degree Caliphate Election -- Same procedure like above: the IX°s elect their chief
