Kenneth Glad
Unlocking historical secrets often means sifting through dark chapters of the past. Propaganda campaigns have left behind endless piles of twisted records, but sometimes the tools built to spread lies end up preserving crucial truths for generations to come.
Back in 1935, Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler established an organisation called Ahnenerbe. The official goal was to explore German cultural heritage, but the actual mission was to find scientific proof for Nazi ideology. Just days after setting up the group, Himmler dispatched historian Herman Wirth to Sweden to investigate ancient Nordic rock carvings.
Wirth believed a mythical Nordic master race created the first religion and writing system. He claimed evidence lay hidden inside Scandinavian petroglyphs, which he viewed as direct precursors to Germanic runes.
Across 1935 and 1936, Wirth produced 221 highly detailed plaster casts of rock art in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. He argued, writes HistorieNet, that carvings on Sweden’s west coast contained the oldest symbols in human history.
Unexpected precision
The methods Wirth used were exhausting. Teams built wooden frames on rock faces, sealed them with clay, applied soapy water, and poured plaster reinforced with iron mesh. Wirth personally inspected every cast, insisting on plaster over cheaper photos because angled atelier light revealed tiny incisions invisible to the naked eye.
That obsessive work ended abruptly in 1937. Wirth clashed with Himmler over theories that women held spiritual power in ancient societies, which contradicted Nazi ideology. Wirth was pushed out, and his casts were stored away in Berlin and Austria.
After World War II, officials shipped the casts to Sweden. Most are now housed at the Västergötland Museum and the National Historical Museums in Stockholm.
Saving the past
Researchers today actively study these casts to track environmental damage over time. By comparing the 1930s replicas with modern rock faces, scientists can measure the impact of acid rain, climate change, and human activity on fragile cultural heritage.
According to Swedish researcher Mattias Legnér from Uppsala University, who published a study on Wirth’s work, the paradox lies in how flawed motives yielded invaluable data. Yet Legnér warns that the dark origin story behind the objects must never be forgotten, writing that the racist ideas behind their creation should face critical scrutiny so the world can move forward on a more enlightened path.
Sources: HistorieNet, Uppsala University
