Nazis and the occult

Fortean Times has the story:

Wewelsburg lies in Westphalia – "the land of Hermann and Widukind", as Himmler himself put it. Himmler had been considering two other sites as centres for the SS, but after viewing Wewelsburg on 3 November 1933, during a tour of the Reich, he made his decision that same night. In August 1934, the SS leased the castle from the District of Buren for 100 years, for the nominal sum of one Reichsmark per year. Wewelsburg no doubt appealed to Himmler on many different levels. Originally constructed between 1603 and 1609, the Weser Renaissance-style castle was intended to serve as a second residence for the Prince Bishop of Paderborn. It was built on the site of an earlier Saxon stronghold; archæologists discovered a Stone Age burial pit containing dozens of human remains when they excavated the foundations. Nearby digs had uncovered Neanderthal skulls, as well as items of Bronze Age jewellery and other signs of early human habitation. During the 17th century, the castle played a key role in the witchcraft trials sweeping across Europe. The persecution of witches had been particularly ferocious in Germany; especially in territories presided over by the Catholic Prince Bishops. Some estimates place the number of 'witches' who perished at the stake as high as 100,000. In Westphalia, local women accused of witchcraft were held in Wewelsburg's dungeons and confessions were extracted under torture in an adjoining courtroom. Many of them were subsequently executed at the castle.

Long story, but well worth the click to read all of it.