Louis de Wohl (earlier Ludwig von Wohl, born Lajos Theodor Gaspar Adolf Wohl) was a German-born

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

author, and had served as an astrologer notable for his work with

MI5 The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...

from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Sixteen of his popular pre-war novels were the basis of movies. His later novels are literary

hagiographies A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...

of notable Roman Catholic saints and of different periods of the Bible.

Life

Wohl was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

to a poor Catholic family, with a Hungarian father and

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

mother of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

descent. When he was only 17 years old, his mother pushed him into an apprenticeship to a banker, from which he was dismissed in 1924, at the age of 21.Brief autobiography by de Wohl
/ref> In 1935, he

emigrated Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

to England due to his objections to the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

regime. Some sources claim that he there had a wife named Alexandra, who fled to Santiago, Chile, where she claimed to be a

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

princess and was known as "La Baronessa." Wohl worked as an astrologer for the British intelligence agency

during

. His MI5 file was released in early 2008. He was recruited initially by Sir Charles Hambro, then running the

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...

, to devise

black propaganda Black propaganda is a form of propaganda intended to create the impression that it was created by those it is supposed to discredit. Black propaganda contrasts with gray propaganda, which does not identify its source, as well as white propagan ...

for use against Germany, and allegedly as an informant because he was casting

horoscopes A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...

for people of interest to MI5. In May 1941 he was sent to America to contribute to astrological magazines and newspapers which at the time were using articles by astrologers favourable to Nazi Germany. In the United States, Wohl published many articles, lectured against Germany and was interviewed several times by the press. He then returned to England in February 1942, claiming that he had been promised a commission in the British Army.

Sefton Delmer Denis Sefton Delmer (24 May 1904, Berlin, Germany – 4 September 1979, Lamarsh, Essex) was a British journalist of Australian heritage and propagandist for the British government during the Second World War. Fluent in German, he became friendl ...

, a notable purveyor of black propaganda, arranged a fake document certifying de Wohl as a Captain in the British Army, and he took to wearing the uniform (though he refrained when he realized the position was untenable). His main value to Delmer was his contact with Karl Ernst Krafft, the German astrologer working in Berlin for Dr Goebbels. He assisted Delmer in forging copies of Krafft's magazine ''Zenit'', German, and other astrological magazines dropped over Germany, and 'foretelling' the destruction of U-boats. Delmer nevertheless continued to employ him until the end of the war, and considered his contribution valuable. During the war, Wohl became increasingly religious, and he had a successful postwar career writing novels regarding Roman Catholic Church history and the lives of the saints. In 1953, Wohl married Ruth Magdalene Lorch, who was a Lady Commander of the

Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

. He himself held the title of Knight Commander of the Order. Wohl died in Switzerland in 1961, shortly after finishing his final work, ''Founded on a Rock''.

Writing career

He began writing as early as the age of 7. His teachers praised his ability. At the age of 8 he wrote the play "Jesus of Nazareth" because he didn't like how Jesus was portrayed by some books he read. Writing as ''Ludwig von Wohl'', he became quite a successful novelist during his youth in Germany, where sixteen of his novels were turned into films. The best known of these was the 1934 comedy classic ''Die englische Heirat'' (The English Marriage).''Die englische Heirat'' on IMDb
/ref> In an audience with Pope

Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius ...

he was told to "write about the history and mission of the Church in the World." The Cardinal of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Ildefonso Schuster Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster OSB (, ; 18 January 1880 – 30 August 1954), born Alfredo Ludovico Schuster, was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Benedictines who served as the Archbishop of Milan from 1929 until his d ...

, came to de Wohl after reading some of his writings telling him "Let your writings be good. For your writings you will one day be judged." From that time, he allegedly believed that he had to write for God, and felt that his earlier novels in the German language were of 'small significance compared to the novels he wrote for the glory of God'. His novel ''The Spear'' brought him international acclaim. Even now Louis de Wohl's books are widely read. His non-fiction work, ''Founded on a Rock: A History of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

'' is often required reading for RCIA students. He has written books on

St. Benedict Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Christianity in Italy, Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Ortho ...

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

, and

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

among many others.

List of works

*''Der große Kampf'', 1926 *''Das indische Wunder – Jack McGills geheime Sendung'', 1926 *''Der Präsident von Costa Nueva – Der Roman eines Abenteurers'', 1927 *''Miss Lillebil aus USA'', 1928 *''Lord Spleen'', 1928 *''Knockout Europa'', 1928 *''Punks kommt aus Amerika'', 1929 *''Er und Sie und sehr viel Schwindel'', 1929 *''Die verspielte Prinzessin – Ein Filmroman zwischen Berlin, Hollywood und Kairo'', 1929 *''Um weißes Gift'', 1930 *''Der Vagabund vom Äquator'', 1930 *''Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden'', 1930 *''Die Wohnung, die über Nacht verschwand'', 1931 *''Die Göttin der tausend Katzen'', 1931 *''Der Mann, der die Anleihe stahl'', 1931 *''Der Mann aus der Hölle'', 1931 *''Peter im Pech'', 1932 *''Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha'', 1932 *''Die goldene Wolke'', 1932 *''Der unsichtbare Reporter'', 1932 *''Schwarz ist weiß und weiß ist schwarz'', 1933 *''Kopfsprung ins Leben'', 1933 *''Das große Erlebnis'', 1933 *''Panik im Paradies'', 1934 *''Die Reise nach Pretoria'', 1934 *''Die englische Heirat'', 1934 *''Die Deutschen von Tschau-Fu'', 1934 *''Blutsbrüder'', 1934 *''Tropenluft'', 1935 *''Es kommt ein Mann nach Belawan – Ein Roman auf Sumatra'', 1935 *''Die Türme des Schweigens'', 1936 *''I Follow my Stars'', 1937 *''Secret Service of the Sky'', 1938 *''Common-sense Astrology'', 1940 *''Strange Daughter'', 1946 *''The Living Wood'' (

Emperor Constantine Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterrane ...

and

St. Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constit ...

), 1947 *''Throne of the World'' ( Attila the Hun and

Pope Leo I Pope Leo I ( 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo's papacy "was undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church's history." Leo was ...

), 1949 *''Imperial Renegade'' (Emperor Julian the Apostate and St.

Athanasius Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

), 1950 *''The Quiet Light'' (St.

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wit ...

), 1950 *''The Restless Flame'' (St. Augustine of Hippo), 1951 *''The Golden Thread'' (St.

Ignatius Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...

), 1952 *''The Stars of War & Peace'', 1952 *''Set All Afire'' (St.

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...

), 1953 *''The Second Conquest'', 1954 *''The Spear '' (St.

Longinus Longinus () is the name given to the unnamed Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance and who in medieval and some modern Christian traditions is described as a convert to Christianity. His name first appeared in the apocryphal G ...

), 1955 *''The Last Crusader'' ( Don Juan of Austria and The Battle of Lepanto), 1956 *''Saint Joan: The Girl Soldier'' (St.

), 1957 *''The Glorious Folly'' (St. Paul the Apostle), 1957 *''The Joyful Beggar'' (St. Francis of Assisi), 1958 *''Citadel of God'' (St. Benedict of Nursia), 1959 *''Adam, Eve, and the Ape'', 1960 *''Founded on a Rock: A History of the

'', 1961 *''Lay Siege to Heaven'' (St.

Catherine of Siena Catherine of Siena (Italian: ''Caterina da Siena''; 25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and on the Catholic Church ...

), 1961 *''David of Jerusalem'' ( King David), 1963 *''Pope

: Shepherd to the World''

Selected filmography

*'' My Friend Harry'', directed by

Rudolf Walther-Fein Rudolf Walther-Fein (20 November 1875 – 1 May 1933) was an Austrian film director and producer of the Silent and early sound era. He directed the first full sound film to be released in Germany ''It's You I Have Loved'' in 1929.Kreimeier p.182 ...

and

Max Obal Max Obal (born Max David Gotthelf Sroke; 4 September 1881 – 18 May 1949) was a German actor, singer, screenwriter, and film director. He co-directed the 1927 swashbuckler '' Rinaldo Rinaldini'' featuring Hans Albers.Grange p.251 Selected filmog ...

(1928, based on the novel ''Das indische Wunder'') *'' The Criminal of the Century'', directed by

(1928, based on the novel ''Jimmy der Schwerverbrecher'') *'' The President'', directed by

Gennaro Righelli Gennaro Righelli (12 December 1886 – 6 January 1949) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and acting, actor. He directed more than 110 films in Italy and Germany between 1910 and 1947. In 1930, he directed the first Italian sound fil ...

(1928, based on the novel ''Der Präsident von Costa Nueva'') *'' A Girl with Temperament'', directed by

Victor Janson Victor Arthur Eduard Janson ( lv, Viktors Artūrs Eduards Jansons; 25 September 1884 – 29 June 1960) was a German stage and film actor and film director of Latvian ethnicity. Selected filmography Actor * ''Your Dearest Enemy'' (1916) * '' When ...

(1928, based on the novel ''Miss Lillebil aus USA'') *'' Once You Give Away Your Heart'', directed by

Johannes Guter Johannes Guter (born Jānis Gūters; 25 April 1882 – 18 March 1962) was a Latvians, Latvian-born German filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer. Although most of his work is now lost, he is considered a pioneer of German silent cin ...

(1929, based on the novel ''Der Vagabund vom Äquator'') *'' Die Jagd nach der Million'', directed by

and

(1930, based on the novel ''Lord Spleen'') *''

The Testament of Cornelius Gulden ''The Testament of Cornelius Gulden'' (german: Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden) is a 1932 German drama film directed by E. W. Emo and starring Magda Schneider, Georg Alexander, and Theo Lingen. It is based on the 1930 novel of the same title ...

'', directed by E. W. Emo (1932, based on the novel ''Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden'') *'' The Legacy of Pretoria'', directed by Johannes Meyer (1934, based on the novel ''Die Reise nach Pretoria'') *'' The English Marriage'', directed by Reinhold Schünzel (1934, based on the novel ''Die englische Heirat'') * ''

Punks Arrives from America ''Punks Arrives from America'' (German: ''Punks kommt aus Amerika'') is a 1935 German comedy film directed by Karl Heinz Martin and starring Attila Hörbiger, Lien Deyers, Ralph Arthur Roberts and Sybille Schmitz. Produced and distributed by U ...

'', directed by

Karlheinz Martin Karlheinz Martin (May 6, 1886 – January 13, 1948) was a German stage and film director, best known for his expressionist productions. After enjoying success with experimental productions in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg, Martin went to Berlin, ...

(1935, based on the novel ''Punks kommt aus Amerika'') *'' The Love of the Maharaja'', directed by

Arthur Maria Rabenalt Arthur Maria Rabenalt (25 June 1905 – 26 February 1993) was an Austrian film director, writer, and author. He directed more than 90 films between 1934 and 1978. His 1958 film '' That Won't Keep a Sailor Down'' was entered into the 1st Moscow ...

(German-language version, 1936, based on the novel ''Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha'') **''

A Woman Between Two Worlds ''A Woman Between Two Worlds'' (Italian: ''Una donna tra due mondi'') is a 1936 Italian white telephone drama film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Isa Miranda, Assia Noris and Giulio Donadio. The film's sets were designed by art d ...

'', directed by

Goffredo Alessandrini Goffredo Alessandrini (20 November 1904, in Cairo – 16 May 1978, in Rome) was an Italian scriptwriter and film director. He also acted, edited, and produced some films. He practiced athletics in his youth, and won a title of Italian champion ...

(Italian-language version, 1936, based on the novel ''Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha'') *''

Crime Over London ''Crime Over London'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Margot Grahame, Paul Cavanagh and David Burns. It was made at Isleworth Studios,Wood p.89 based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'' by Ludwi ...

'', directed by

Alfred Zeisler Alfred Zeisler (September 26, 1892 – March 1, 1985) was an American-born German film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He produced 29 films between 1927 and 1936. He also directed 16 films between 1924 and 1949. Selected filmogr ...

(1936, based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'') *'' Francis of Assisi'', directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

(1961, based on the novel ''The Joyful Beggar'')

Screenwriter

* ''

The Sweet Girl ''The Sweet Girl'' (German: ''Das Süße Mädel'') is a 1926 German silent film directed by Manfred Noa and starring Mary Nolan, Paul Heidemann and Nils Asther.The Sounds of Silent Films p.73 It is based on an operetta. The German title is a Vi ...

'' (dir.

Manfred Noa Manfred Noa (22 March 1893 – 5 December 1930) was a German film director. Noa was described by Vilma Bánky, who he directed twice, as her "favourite director". Noa's 1924 film '' Helena'' has been called his "masterpiece" although it was so exp ...

, 1926) * '' Crooks in Tails'' (dir.

, 1927) * ''

The Eighteen Year Old ''The Eighteen Year Old'' (german: Die Achtzehnjährigen) is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Manfred Noa and starring Andrée Lafayette, Ernő Verebes, and Frida Richard. It was made at the Staaken Studios in Berlin. The film's sets ...

'' (dir.

, 1927) * ''

The Last Company ''The Last Company'' (german: Die letzte Kompagnie) is a 1930 German war film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Karin Evans and Erwin Kalser.Bock & Bergfelder p. 315 It was part of the popular cycle of Prussian films which p ...

'' (dir.

Curtis Bernhardt Curtis Bernhardt (15 April 1899 – 22 February 1981) was a Jewish film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. He trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film director in 1924, wi ...

, 1930) * '' Love's Carnival'' (dir.

Hans Steinhoff Hans Steinhoff (10 March 1882 – 20 April 1945) was a German film director, best known for the propaganda films he made in the Nazi era. Life and career Steinhoff started his career as a stage actor in the 1900s and later worked as a stag ...

, 1930) * ''Abenteuer im Engadin'' (dir.

, 1932) * ''

The Oil Sharks ''The Oil Sharks'' (french: Les requins du pétrole) is a 1933 German drama film directed by Rudolph Cartier and Henri Decoin and starring Arlette Marchal, Vivian Grey and Gabriel Gabrio.Youngkin p. 466 It is the French-language version of '' ...

'' (French-language version, dir.

Rudolph Cartier Rudolph Cartier (born Rudolph Kacser, renamed himself in Germany to Rudolph Katscher; 17 April 1904 – 7 June 1994) was an Austrian television director, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who worked predominantly in British television, exc ...

and Henri Decoin, 1933) ** ''

Invisible Opponent ''Invisible Opponent'' (German: ''Unsichtbare Gegner'') is a 1933 German-Austrian drama film directed by Rudolph Cartier and starring Gerda Maurus, Paul Hartmann, and Oskar Homolka. The film's sets were designed by the art director Erwin S ...

'' (German-language version, dir.

, 1933) * '' Homecoming to Happiness'' (dir.

Carl Boese Carl Eduard Hermann Boese (; 26 August 1887 – 6 July 1958) was a German film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He directed 158 films between 1917 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''Farmer Borchardt'' (1917) * ''Donna Lucia ...

, 1933) * ''

Decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...

'' (German-language version, dir.

, 1934) ** '' The Decoy'' (French-language version, dir. Roger Le Bon and

, 1935) * '' Make-Up'' (dir.

, 1937) * '' Dein Horoskop – Dein Schicksal?'' (documentary on astrology, dir. Konrad Lustig, 1956)

References

External links

Louis de Wohl and Nostradamus

Emma Garman, The Inconvenient Astrologer Of MI5

*

The Guardian: "Star turn: astrologer who became SOE's secret weapon against Hitler"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wohl, Louis de 1903 births 1961 deaths Writers from Berlin British astrologers British Roman Catholics Christian astrologers Hungarian male novelists German people of Hungarian descent German Roman Catholics German emigrants to England Roman Catholic writers 20th-century German novelists Knights of the Holy Sepulchre German people of Austrian-Jewish descent Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom British people of Hungarian descent British people of Austrian-Jewish descent Jews who immigrated to the United Kingdom to escape Nazism 20th-century Hungarian novelists 20th-century Hungarian male writers