Publisher's Synopsis
In the aftermath of World War II, a succession of mass supernatural events swept through war- torn Germany. A messianic faith healer rose to extraordinary fame, prayer groups performed exorcisms, and enormous crowds traveled to witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Most strikingly, scores of people accused their neighbours of witchcraft, and found themselves in turn hauled into court on charges of defamation, assault, and even murder. What linked these events, in the wake of an annihilationist war and the Holocaust, was a widespread preoccupation with evil. While many histories emphasise Germany's rapid transition from genocidal dictatorship to liberal democracy, 'A Demon-Haunted Land' places in full view the toxic mistrust, profound bitterness, and spiritual malaise that unfolded alongside the economic miracle.
