Ever since the dawn of recorded time, secret societies have captivated and frightened us. Cloaked in mystery, they easily become fodder for conspiracy theories. However, some of these societies truly influenced the world, leaving behind reverberations that we still feel today.
The Secret Six
In the roaring 1930s, as the battle against Al Capone raged, many clamored for credit. Amidst the fray, a group of Chicago businessmen, known as the Secret Six, worked quietly behind the scenes. Their motive? Economic revitalization. They understood that Chicago’s reputation as a gangster’s paradise deterred tourism and investment.
The Secret Six, officially the Citizens’ Committee for the Prevention and Punishment of Crime, was founded in October 1930. It included Alexander Jamie, a federal agent and brother-in-law of Eliot Ness. With Jamie’s support, Ness spearheaded the case against Capone, focusing on violations of the Volstead Act, the primary tool for enforcing Prohibition.
Following their success in Chicago, Ness brought the Secret Six model to Cleveland, aiming to combat organized crime in that city as well.
Secret Germany
Interwar Germany was marked by instability and political turmoil. Amidst the chaos, various groups gathered to discuss their philosophies. One such group, known as Secret Germany, centered around the poet Stefan George.
George, revered as “The Master” by his followers, penned some of the most exquisite poetry in the German language (1868–1933). He advocated for a “spiritual aristocracy,” envisioning leaders who were both war-hungry and transcendental.
Although the Nazis later co-opted much of George’s work, many members of Secret Germany later became leaders in the German Resistance during World War II, including Claus von Stauffenberg, who attempted to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944.
The UR Group
While “fascism” often evokes images of Nazi Germany, the ideology originated in Italy in the early 1920s. Julius Evola, a Sicilian nobleman and occultist, believed fascism could counter the modern world, which he saw as part of the Hindu Dark Age.
In 1927, Evola founded the UR Group to promote his mystical brand of fascism. The society included Italian intellectuals interested in magic, Nietzschean philosophy, and Hermeticism. Despite Evola’s criticisms of Mussolini, the UR Group remained an intellectual hub for right-wing radicalism throughout World War II, influencing far-right thought to this day.
Galleanists
Terrorism isn’t new to the United States. During the early 20th century, the US and Europe combatted communists, socialists, and anarchists in what was known as the First War on Terror.
Some radicals embraced “propaganda of the deed,” particularly followers of Illegalism. Luigi Galleani’s followers, the Galleanists, headquartered in Boston, conducted a series of bombings across the US during the “Red Summer” of 1919. One member is suspected in the Wall Street bombing of 1920.
The Bonnot Gang
The Bonnot Gang, active in France between 1911 and 1912, existed between a secret society and a criminal enterprise. Known as the “Auto Bandits,” they were the first to use a getaway car after robbing a Societe Generale bank in Paris.
The gang also used advanced weapons like semi-automatic pistols. Named after Jules Bonnot, they followed the philosophy of Illegalism. Though most members were killed or jailed by 1912, the gang inspired Les Vampires, a silent film series about a shadowy criminal society.
Young Bosnia
Long before the 1990s wars, the Balkans were a volatile region. Bosnia, with its diverse mix of nationalities and religions, was a hotspot. The Black Hand, a group of Serbian Army officers, funded pro-Serbian movements. One such group was Young Bosnia, composed of Bosnian Serb, Croat, and Muslim revolutionaries advocating South Slav unification and Serb nationalism.
Inspired by radical Vladimir Gacinovic and working with the Black Hand, Young Bosnia sought to liberate Bosnia from Austrian rule. Gavrilo Princip, a member, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, triggering World War I. Despite the violent aftermath, Princip remains a figure of pride for some in the region.
The Guido Von List Society
Before the Nazis, Imperial Austria was a breeding ground for racial nationalism, occultism, and anti-Semitism. Guido von List, a Viennese journalist and occultist, focused on runic studies.
Despite List’s questionable background, his brand of esoteric nationalism, called Ariosophy, gained traction among Vienna’s elite. Founded in 1905, the Guido von List Society included influential figures like industrialist Friedrich Wannieck and Karl Lueger, an anti-Semitic mayor of Vienna.
The society resembled a political movement with its symbols and gestures, including the swastika and the Heil salute. With their focus on ancient German mysticism and Aryan superiority, they laid the groundwork for National Socialism.
Thuggees
The Thuggees of India, from a Sanskrit word meaning “concealment,” gave English the word “thug.” Posing as travelers, they preyed on fellow travelers across India.
British administrators discovered mass graves linked to a murderous cult. Unlike highwaymen, the Thuggees ritually sacrificed victims to Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, using a yellow sash (rumal) to strangle them. Lord William Bentinck led a campaign that imprisoned thousands of Thuggees.
The Cathars
During the 13th century, Pope Innocent III led the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, a heretical Christian sect in southern France. The Cathars adhered to Gnostic Dualism, believing in both a good and evil god.
Inspired by movements like Bogomilism and Manichaeism, they rejected the Catholic Church and embraced gender equality. The Albigensian Crusade eradicated the Cathars, with survivors either converting or going underground. Later, conspiracy theorists linked them to the Holy Grail.
The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Sacred Way, from Athens to Eleusis, was Greece’s best-maintained road, thanks to the Eleusinian Mysteries. This religious celebration reenacted the story of Demeter and Persephone.
The secretive ceremonies were shrouded in mystery, with initiates sworn to silence. Lasting almost 2,000 years, these mysteries symbolized the height of ancient Greek religion.
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