Die Glocke (German: [diː ˈɡlɔkə], "The Bell") was a claimed top-secret scientific device, miracle weapon, or Wunderwaffe developed in Nazi Germany during the 1940s. Stories about this device have continued for many years after World War II and appeared in the fictional novel Lightning by Dean Koontz (1988) and the fictional television series 12 Monkeys (Season 4). The device was first fully described by Polish journalist Igor Witkowski in his book Prawda o Wunderwaffe (2000). Later, military journalist Nick Cook popularized it, linking it to Nazi occultism, antigravity, and research on free energy suppression. Mainstream reviewers have criticized claims about Die Glocke as pseudoscientific, repeated rumors, and a hoax. Die Glocke and other alleged Nazi "miracle weapons" have been dramatized in films, television shows, video games, and books.

History

In his 2001 book The Hunt for Zero Point, author Nick Cook wrote that claims about Die Glocke first appeared in a 2000 Polish book titled Prawda o Wunderwaffe ("The Truth About the Wonder Weapon") by Igor Witkowski. Cook described Witkowski’s claims about a device called "The Bell," which was said to be a glowing, rotating object. This device was rumored to have an anti-gravity effect, be a time machine, or be part of an SS antigravity program for a flying saucer.

Cook stated that Die Glocke was bell-shaped, about 4 meters (12 feet) tall and 3 meters (9 feet) wide. It included "two high-speed, counter-rotating cylinders filled with a purplish, liquid metallic-looking substance that was supposed to be highly radioactive, code-named 'Xerum 525.'" Cook wrote that scientists and technicians who worked on the device and did not die from its effects were reportedly killed by the SS near the end of World War II. The device was then moved to an unknown location. Cook suggested that SS official Hans Kammler later secretly gave this technology to the U.S. military in exchange for his freedom. Witkowski claimed that a concrete ring called "The Henge," built near the Wenceslaus mine in 1943 or 1944 and resembling Stonehenge, was used to hold the Bell during tests. However, writer Jason Colavito said the structure is likely the remains of an ordinary industrial cooling tower.

Witkowski’s book was translated into English in 2003. He claimed to have found evidence of Die Glocke by reviewing declassified WWII-era documents from the Polish government. This led him to research archives and interview people. One document, allegedly given to Witkowski by an unnamed Polish government official, was an affidavit from a war crimes trial for General Jakob Sporrenberg, who supposedly admitted to ordering the murder of about 60 people who knew about the secret project. Kurt Debus, Wernher von Braun, and Walther Gerlach were also allegedly linked to Die Glocke research. Witkowski said Die Glocke was organized under a division of the Waffen-SS and operated mainly at facilities in Lower Silesia. The project began in early 1942, and experiments started in mid-1944.

Prisoners from the Gross-Rosen concentration camp were allegedly exposed to radiation from Die Glocke, causing many deaths and health issues. Survivors of the camp reportedly saw tests of Die Glocke, describing a bright blue light from the object.

Witkowski suggested that Xerum 525 was likely an irradiated form of mercury used to create a type of plasma. This plasma was intended as a weapon or propulsion system and may have been able to distort spacetime.

Reception

Cook's book introduced the topic in English without discussing it in depth. More recently, historian Eric Kurlander wrote about the subject in his 2017 book Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich. According to reviewer Julian Strube, Kurlander used information from theories about events after World War II and relied heavily on exciting but unverified stories, mixing real sources with later fictional accounts and false details.

Salon reviewer Kurt Kleiner noted that Cook's work as an editor at Jane's Defence Weekly for a decade raises questions about the credibility of Die Glocke theories. Kleiner also said that while anti-gravity ideas cannot be completely ignored because they have been studied seriously over time, researchers in Nazi Germany did work on advanced technology in the 1940s. However, Kleiner concluded that the story is hard to believe and criticized Cook for focusing on small, unclear details and turning them into supposed proof. Kleiner described evaluating Cook's claims as separating real science from false science and noted that the book shows how conspiracy theories can attract people who usually think logically.

Skeptical author Robert Sheaffer called Cook's book an example of creating exciting stories based on little evidence. He said Cook visited places where people claim secret UFO and anti-gravity research happened and wrote about his feelings and guesses, finding only unconfirmed rumors. Sheaffer added that claims about Die Glocke are often shared by UFO researchers and authors like Jim Marrs, Joseph P. Farrell, and John Dering, who support anti-gravity ideas.

Jason Colavito said Witkowski's claims about Die Glocke were similar to 1960s rumors about Nazi mystical science, such as those in Morning of the Magicians. He described Die Glocke as a device few people outside of unusual groups believe actually existed, calling it likely a hoax or exaggeration. Brian Dunning stated that Morning of the Magicians helped spread belief in Die Glocke and Nazi mystical ideas, and the lack of historical evidence makes it unlikely such a device existed. Dunning said the only evidence is an unverified story about something that is very hard to believe, with no proof or support.

Author and historian Robert F. Dorr described Die Glocke as one of the most imaginative conspiracy theories from after World War II, similar to the fictional magical weapons often written about in magazines like the National Police Gazette.

Some online conspiracy sites claim Die Glocke is hidden in a Nazi gold train buried in a tunnel under a mountain in Poland. Duncan Roads, editor of Nexus, said stories about Nazis on the Moon are linked to wild ideas about Nazi anti-gravity technology, including Witkowski's Die Glocke.

Journalist Patrick J. Kiger wrote that German propaganda about fictional superweapons, combined with the secrecy around real advanced technology like the V-2 rocket captured by U.S. forces, led to books, websites, and groups that enjoy rumors about science-fiction-like weapons supposedly created by Hitler’s scientists. Kiger said Die Glocke is a common example of these legends, citing aerospace scientist David Myhra's argument that if anti-gravity devices existed, the Germans would have used them to stop Allied forces.