Odd. Will-Erich Peuckert is largely unknown to people interested in western esotericism. His books which were published halfway the previous century are immense, but mostly out of print and have never been available in another language than German. Still scholars from the continent seem to use Peuckert as source of information more and more. So far this has only resulted in a cheap version of the book Geheimkulte which is subject of this review. A gigantic book with a hardcover available for only E 10,-, but of course in German. Peuckert speaks about secret organisations of all times. He starts in Babylonia and writes all the way to Freemasonry. Personally I am not thrilled by the information, because it is all very short, only a few pages about the Mithras-cult, just to name an example. Here and there you can find an image. The cover calls this book a “standardwerk”, which in a way may be true, but you can best compare it with the abridged version of The Golden Bough, too much spoken about in too little text. Yet, you will have gotten yourself a reference book on mysterie-cults of all times.
Peuckert also wrote a lot about folklore, sagas, etc., but personally I am mostly interested in his “pansophie” trilogy which speaks about white and black magic, Rosicrucianity and “gabalia”. Unfortunately these are no longer available. Hopefully they will be the next “sonderangebot”!