A real cult around the Catholic “seer” Alois Irlmaier

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When it comes to prophecy for the present time, Alois Irlmaier from Upper Bavaria is not far away. The well builder and dowser from Freilassing serves as a postmodern figurehead of “Catholic prophecy,” especially among followers of the Church of Rome. As is often the case with this traditional institution, such a practiced Irlmaier cult should be viewed with caution.

A discipleship of Irlmaier

A real fan base seems to have formed around Alois Irlmaier from Freilassing, Bavaria, who is known as a seer. Wherever miracles and the supernatural are involved, a cult quickly emerges. This is especially true when the aspect of Catholicism is added. Because Irlmaier was a Catholic, which is anything but exceptional in his environment in “deepest Bavaria”. Mentioning this would actually seem like an afterthought if there weren’t groups that emphasized Irlmaier’s membership of the Roman Catholic Church and also declared his “prophecies” to be a specialty of this church.

Alois Irlmaier was born on June 8th, 1894 in Oberscharam (Siegsdorf). In the associated district of Traunstein, Upper Bavaria, the proportion of Catholicism was probably almost 100 percent during his time. Irlmaier died on July 26, 1959 in Freilassing, a small town in the Upper Bavarian district of Berchtesgadener Land. The Upper Bavarian became self-employed as a well builder and also worked as a dowser to find water sources. Irlmaier is said to have noticed this “sensitivity to water” when he was 7 years old.

It is not known at what point in time Alois Irlmaier claimed to be a clairvoyant. At least an increasing number of inquiries from the population at the beginning of the Second World War indicate that Irlmaier was already considered a clairvoyant in a certain circle before the outbreak of war. After the end of the war in 1945, there was a significant increase in inquiries from families of missing soldiers requesting information.

Irlmaier becomes known by the “Juggler Trial”.

Irlmaier experienced a “career leap” due to a report of alleged fraud. However, the complaint did not come from a supposedly defrauded customer, but from the local Catholic priest. Although Irlmaier did not charge any fees, instead relying on voluntary donations, the “clairvoyance” seems to have gone too far for the clergyman. In 1947 the trial took place at the Laufen District Court, which became known as the “Juggler Trial”. During the trial, an experiment was carried out, which the judge believed Irlmaier passed.

Enthusiastic press

The acquittal triggered a larger, national media frenzy; after all, it was a sensation. Between 1947 and 1950, Südost-Kurier, Münchner Merkur, Oberbayerisches Volksblatt, Bayerische Landeszeitung, Altbayerische Heimatpost, Passauer Neue Presse, Traunsteiner Nachrichten, Die kleine Illustrierte, Süddeutsche Sonntagspost, Landshuter Zeitung and (even) Der Spiegel reported on it.

Enthusiasm quickly fades

As if there were no before or after to the juggler trial, it is the court ruling from 1947 that serves as a figurehead for the enthusiastic Irlmaier fan base. Also presented today as the ultimate proof of Irlmaier’s clairvoyant abilities. Virtually proven and sealed forever by the court. On June 11, 1947, the “Südost-Kurier” wrote about this (page 4):
“The interrogation of the witnesses [names of the witnesses] produced such astonishing evidence of the defendant’s powers of vision, which can hardly be explained by the previously known forces of nature, that he cannot be described as a juggler.“

Little or no mention is made by Irlmaier enthusiasts that the initial euphoria quickly subsided. Doubts arose because the “miracles” were “relative.” Dr. Conrad Adlmaier, editor of the booklet “Look into the Future” wrote on February 1, 1950 (page 34):
“In a letter from Judge L. it is denied that Irlmaier had carried out an experiment with his clairvoyance during this trial in that he described exactly what was happening elsewhere at the moment of the trial.“

Five years later, Adlmaier revised his contribution by removing this story from his booklet and adding the following note:
“The prediction that two members at the court table would die in the same year also did not come true.”
The Süddeutsche Sonntagspost also wrote: ‘He had also predicted that two members of the court table, one of whom was 72 years old, would die in the same year: that also did not come true. They didn’t even get sick.’“

On May 6, 1950, the “Süddeutsche Sonntagspost” (page 3) wrote the following as a review of the juggler trial:
“[…] Irlmaier was acquitted at the expense of the state treasury. Judge Lehle still fought a bitter follow-up battle. He later pointed out to the public that during the trial Irlmaier had clearly failed in the experiment to determine what was happening elsewhere during the session; Irlmaier had said to Lehle, tactically not unwisely grasping the mentality of a small town: ‘Your wife at home is wearing a red dress. There’s a strange man with her at the moment!’ Which wasn’t true at all.“

The bottom line is that there was hardly anything left of Irlmaier’s “great visionary achievements” in court. The great sensation was due more to the “enthusiastic” editors of the press than to reality. But the myth was born. Yes, and most importantly, Irlmaier was Catholic.

Irlmaier was a “regular” in court

A look at the time before the juggler trial also seems very interesting. For Irlmaier, the appearance in court was not a first. Why the VIPs ignore the previous long-term legal “warm-up phase” of the Freilassing dowser may be an open question. A court career not to be despised. Alois Irlmaier had already had many previous convictions before the juggler trial. Ironically, most of them were convicted of fraud.
(Source: “Alois Irlmaier – Ein Mann sagt, was er sieht”, Stephan Berndt, 2013, 3rd edition)

Irlmaier already had experience

• August 18, 1925 Conviction for fraud, Traunstein Regional Court, 200 RM or 10 days in prison
• July 04, 1926 Conviction for fraud, Priem District Court, 10 RM or 2 days in prison
• May 20, 1927 Conviction for fraud, Munich Criminal Court, 1 month in prison
• September 19, 1928 Conviction for perjury, Traunstein Regional Court, 1 month in prison
• January 30, 1929 Conviction for fraud, Traunstein District Court, 3 months in prison
• August 5, 1932 Conviction for withholding health and unemployment insurance, Laufen district court, 5 days in prison
• December 30, 1932 Conviction for fraud, Trostberg District Court, 3 months in prison
• June 19, 1935 Conviction for withholding health and unemployment insurance, Laufen district court, 14 days in prison
• January 14, 1936 Conviction for illegal employment, Laufen district court, 70 RM or 14 days in prison
• June 26, 1936 Conviction for failure to deliver collected contribution shares, Laufen district court, 14 days in prison
• March 12, 1937 Conviction for continued crime of fraud, Traunstein Regional Court, 3 months in prison
• June 9, 1938 Conviction for fraud, Laufen district court, 4 months in prison
• September 19, 1940 Conviction for unpaid contributions, Laufen district court, 3 weeks in prison
• July 30, 1946 Conviction for offenses against the Motor Vehicle Act, Laufen District Court, 300 RM or 1 month in prison

A total of 14 convictions. The acquittal at the juggler trial was a real first.

It may be that Bavarian Irlmaier fans in particular view this impressive record in a Bavarian way. “This is a dog, so a bat!” is not to be understood in Bavaria as a reprimand, but rather as an expression of admiring recognition. Something like that can rub off beyond the “white sausage border” (river Danube), especially if it fits into the concept.

Irlmaier’s views on the future

This juggler’s process would certainly have been forgotten long ago if Irlmaier had not used his “seeing power” to look into the more distant future. One of Irlmaier’s most prominent announcements is the foresight made in 1952, which Irlmaier supporters place in the present time (plus-minus). In fact, the Freilassing “Seer” has repeatedly described future developments in Germany and especially in relation to Russia.

A statement that Irlmaier liked to quote was printed on November 20, 1949 by the “Altbayerische Heimatpost” (page 8):
“There’s no big change over in the east. […] It’s not going to happen so quickly, and it’s preceded by all sorts of fights, but it’s coming.“

A template for the interpretation as the collapse of the so-called Eastern Bloc with the subsequent dissolution of the former Soviet Union. According to the order of further prospects, the “Russian attack on the West” followed, and then the “Civil War in Russia”. Russia’s attack was completely surprising and so effective that the rollover only stopped at the Rhine. This triggered a revolt in Russia.

Excerpt from Irlmaier’s announcements

For the end of the war, which is also in prospect, Irlmaier brings “three nines” into play, as printed in “Look into the Future” (page 93) in 1955:
“The war in the East is over and the third murder has occurred. I see three nines, but I can’t say what that means. The third nine brings peace.“.

According to Irlmaier, who is said to have revealed the following visions of a Caritas sister, some development preceded these events:

• First comes prosperity like never before
• Then an apostasy follows like never before
• Then an unprecedented corruption of morals
• Then a large number of foreign people come into the country
• There is a lot of inflation
• The money is losing more and more of its value
• The revolution follows soon afterwards
• Then the Russians invaded the West overnight

Irlmaier had a few details ready for the “Russian attack”. Accordingly, the attack would come from the east across three main flanks. All areas north of the Danube are affected. South of the Danube is a safe area.

It would also work without the supernatural

For the “prophesied” events of prosperity, apostasy, moral corruption, immigration, inflation and decline in monetary value, as well as revolution, clairvoyant powers are not really needed. After all, Irlmaier was able to experience unprecedented inflation in the 1920s. The fall in the value of money (inflation) is not a stroke of fate, but rather a mathematically logical process due to the monetary system of creating money from debt and the interest due on it. In view of the French Revolution and the numerous uprisings in the 19th century, revolutions do not appear to be an exceptional phenomenon when people are either politically “dissatisfied” or are starving due to a lack of money or the value of money.

Europe was once plagued by an “immigration” of many foreigners. At least if you look at it from the perspective of the Roman Empire. The decline of the Roman Empire is due not only to its own decadence and thus weakening, but also to the influx of “barbaric” tribes. Social transformations can certainly be achieved through mass immigration.

Ominous 3-day darkness

For a devout Catholic like Irlmaier, as described by the enthusiastic Irlmaier supporters, moral corruption and apostasy could also be taken from the Bible. Appropriate passages would be, for example, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Matthew 24:38. An event brought into focus by the Irlmaier apologists is a predicted alleged 3-day eclipse. These “are the nights of nights” where all – and at this point many special characters come to light – unbelievers, godless and especially Protestants would (“finally”) meet their end. Only “true Catholics” who lit consecrated candles and prayed the rosary during the darkness would survive (Rosary – Babbling like the pagans – Info).

In fact, according to the gospel, there will be a darkness in Revelation 16:10-11. However, this darkness occurs as part of the final plagues falling on the earth. At this point in time, the die has already been cast, because there will be no glorious and peaceful earth with only believing Catholics who, according to Irlmaier, can enjoy the recently growing lemons, oranges and other tropical fruits, especially in Bavaria.

The die-hard Irlmaier enthusiasts who associate his sightings with Catholicism, since Irlmaier himself was a Catholic, seem to be a splinter group that spread very extraordinary theses even by the standards of the Church of Rome. The “3-day darkness” is an unknown quantity in the Roman Catholic Church, although Irlmaier was neither the only nor the first to speak of such an event (Info).

Check everything, keep the good!

Alois Irlmaier and the cherry-picked characteristics and “prophecies” nevertheless fit wonderfully into the concept of the character of the Roman Catholic Church. Lots of mysticism, mystery, the inexplicable, embellishments and, above all, diversity. Everything but the gospel as it is written. As with the interpretation of the Gospel, some of Irlmaier’s predictions make use of individual verses or statements and place them in their own context. This is also a way to tell people about the pink elephant with yellow dots.

The real risk comes from a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” “Even a blind chicken can find some schnapps,” as the saying goes. One of Irlmaier’s predictions can sometimes be true, even if it is viewed in the right context. In this case, there is a great risk that with such confirmation every other statement will automatically be assumed to be true.

However, “Prove everything and keep what is good!”, as in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. This also applies to the prophecies of Alois Irlmaier. If even one detail does not match the statements of the Gospel, then the “prophecy” of the Freilassing dowser can safely be put in the shredder. It is not for nothing that the Gospel also warns about the many false prophets (Info).

Bible verses from King James Version