Die Glocke, also known as "The Bell," was a secret scientific device or weapon claimed to have been developed in Nazi Germany during the 1940s. Stories about this device have been shared for many years after World War II and were later used in a fictional book called Lightning by Dean Koontz (1988) and a fictional TV show, 12 Monkeys (Season 4). The device was first fully described in a book titled Prawda o Wunderwaffe (2000) by Polish writer Igor Witkowski. Later, military journalist Nick Cook wrote about it, connecting it to ideas like Nazi occultism, antigravity, and research into energy. However, many experts have said these claims are not based on real science, are repeated rumors, or are fake. Stories about Die Glocke and other supposed Nazi "miracle weapons" have been shown in movies, TV shows, video games, and books.
History
In his 2001 book The Hunt for Zero Point, author Nick Cook wrote that claims about Die Glocke came from a 2000 Polish book titled 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 created by Nazi scientists. The device was described as a glowing, spinning object that some believed could defy gravity, act as a time machine, or be part of an SS program to build a flying saucer.
Cook wrote that Die Glocke was shaped like a bell, about 4 meters (12 feet) tall and 3 meters (9 feet) wide. It had two fast-spinning cylinders that moved in opposite directions. These cylinders were filled with a purple, shiny liquid that was thought to be radioactive and was given the code name "Xerum 525." Cook also mentioned that some people who worked on the device were killed by the SS near the end of World War II, and the machine was moved to an unknown place. He suggested that SS official Hans Kammler later 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 simply the remains of a regular industrial cooling tower.
Witkowski’s book was translated into English in 2003. He said he found evidence of Die Glocke by studying declassified Polish government documents from World War II. These documents led him to research in archives and interviews. One document, supposedly given to Witkowski by an unnamed Polish official, was an affidavit from a war crimes trial. It claimed that General Jakob Sporrenberg admitted to ordering the deaths of about 60 people who knew about the secret project. Other individuals, including Kurt Debus, Wernher von Braun, and Walther Gerlach, were also said to be involved in Die Glocke research. Witkowski claimed the project was organized by a group within the Waffen-SS and mainly operated at facilities in Lower Silesia. He said Die Glocke was planned in early 1942, and testing began in mid-1944.
Prisoners from the Gross-Rosen concentration camp were reportedly exposed to radiation from Die Glocke, causing many deaths and health problems. Survivors of the camp are said to have seen tests of the device, describing a bright blue light coming from it.
Witkowski suggested that Xerum 525 was likely a form of irradiated mercury used to create a type of plasma. This plasma was intended for use as a weapon or to power a machine, and it may have been able to affect spacetime.
Reception
Cook's book introduced the topic in English but did not analyze it in depth. More recently, historian Eric Kurlander discussed the topic in his 2017 book Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich. According to reviewer Julian Strube, Kurlander "uses information from a collection of post-war conspiracy theories" and "relies heavily on dramatic stories…mixing sources from the time with post-war stories, partial truths, and made-up accounts."
Salon reviewer Kurt Kleiner noted that Cook's work as an editor at Jane's Defence Weekly for a decade "makes readers reconsider" the claims in Die Glocke. Kleiner also stated that anti-gravity research "cannot be completely ignored" because it has been studied seriously over time, and that Nazi scientists worked on advanced technology in the 1940s. However, Kleiner concluded that "the story is hard to believe" and that Cook did not build a strong, convincing case. Kleiner criticized Cook for "focusing on small problems and unclear details to suggest they are proof" and described evaluating Cook's claims as "separating real science from fake science." He added that the book shows how conspiracy theories can influence people who usually think logically.
Skeptical author Robert Sheaffer called Cook's book "a typical example of creating exciting stories from almost nothing." He wrote that Cook visits places where rumors about secret UFO and anti-gravity research are said to occur and writes about his feelings and ideas, but finds only unproven rumors. Sheaffer noted that claims about Die Glocke are shared by UFO researchers and writers like Jim Marrs, Joseph P. Farrell, and anti-gravity advocate John Dering.
Jason Colavito wrote that Witkowski's claims about Die Glocke are "repeats of 1960s rumors about Nazi occult 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. Author Brian Dunning stated that Morning of the Magicians helped spread belief in Die Glocke and Nazi occultism, and that its lack of historical evidence makes it "unlikely that anything like it existed." Dunning added that the only evidence is a third-hand, unverified story about something that seems highly unlikely, with no proof or supporting accounts.
Author and historian Robert F. Dorr described Die Glocke as one of the "most imaginative conspiracy theories" from after World War II, typical of the fictional German weapons often featured 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, noted that the idea of Nazis on the Moon is linked to wild theories about Nazi anti-gravity technology, such as Witkowski's Die Glocke.
Journalist Patrick J. Kiger wrote that German propaganda about fictional "wonder weapons" and the secrecy around real advanced technology, like the V-2 rocket captured by U.S. forces, led to "sensational books, websites, and groups of people who enjoy rumors about science fiction-like weapons supposedly created by Hitler’s scientists." Kiger stated that Die Glocke is a popular example of such legends, citing former aerospace scientist David Myhra's argument that if anti-gravity devices existed, the Germans would have used them to stop Allied forces.