The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, August 7, 2026
Timothy G. Carlson challenges the popular image of Johannes Kelpius as an occultist or wizard. Carlson explains that Kelpius was a radical Protestant Christian known as a Pietist, whose beliefs were considered illegal and dangerous in 17th-century Europe, forcing him to flee.
“So if you Google the name Johannes Kelpius today, the first things that you're likely to see will be articles about Kelpius being some sort of occultist or wizard or any sort of iteration of this sort of freaky deaky esoteric figure.”
“But it sounds like that is not the actual story.”
“Well, that's part of the story. What is not true is that Kelpius expected the imminent destruction of the world, that Kelpius led a group of people who also shared this belief, and that he was the leader of this sort of enormous religious group in the early 17th century.”
“Kelpius begins associating with these groups of radical Protestant Christians called Pietists. But Pietists were basically Protestant Christians who were really kind of protesting against this sort of bookish and orthodox form of German Lutheranism that was not only popular but required at the time.”
“And by 1693, Kelpius is actually preparing to flee Europe with a group of radical Pietists. I think under some sort of direct threat of imprisonment.”