Erich von Dänikenthe Swiss author whose best-selling books on extraterrestrial origins of ancient civilizations brought him fame among paranormal enthusiasts and scorn from the scientific community, died at 90 years old.
von Däniken’s representatives announced on their website on Sunday that he had died the previous day in a hospital in central Switzerland. His daughter Cornelia confirmed the information to the Swiss news agency SDA.
Von Däniken rose to fame in 1968 with the publication of his first book «Memories of the Future»in which he stated that the mayans and ancient egyptians were visited by alien astronauts and instructed in advanced technology that allowed them to build gigantic pyramids.
The book fueled a growing interest in unexplained phenomena at a time when, thanks to conventional science, man was about to take his first steps on the Moon.
«Memories of the Future» was followed by more than two dozen similar books that sold 60 million copies in 32 languagesgiving rise to a literary niche in which facts and fantasy were mixed against all historical and scientific evidence.
Although von Däniken ignored his many critics, he had a problematic relationship with money throughout his life and was often on the brink of financial ruin.
The writer Erich von Däniken died at the age of 90. Photo: AFPBorn in 1935, the son of a clothing manufacturer in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen, von Däniken is said to have He rebelled against the strict Catholicism of his father and the priests who instructed him in boarding school developing his own alternatives to the biblical account of the origins of life.
After leaving school in 1954, von Däniken worked as a waiter and bartender for several years, during which was repeatedly accused of fraud and served a couple of brief stints in prison.
In 1964, he was appointed manager of a hotel in the exclusive resort town of Davos and began writing his first book. Its publication and rapid commercial success were followed by accusations of tax evasion and financial improprietiesfor which again spent time behind bars.
By the time he was released from prison, «Memories of the Future» was earning von Däniken a fortune and a second book.Gods of Outer Space» was ready for publication, allowing him to pursue his paranormal passion and travel the world in search of new mysteries to discover.
The writer Erich von Däniken died at the age of 90. Photo: AFPThroughout the 1970s, von Däniken made icountless field trips to Egypt, India and, above all, Latin Americawhose ancient cultures held a particular fascination for the amateur archaeologist.
offered conferences and established societies dedicated to promoting his theories, he later pioneered the use of video and multimedia to reach increasingly large audiences eager for a different version of history.
No amount of criticism dissuaded him or his followers from believing that Earth has been repeatedly visited by extraterrestrials and will be again in the future.
In 1991, von Däniken received the dubious honor of being the first recipient of the prize. «Ig Nobel» for literaturefor raising public awareness of science through experiments or questionable claims.
Even when confronted with false evidence in a British television documentary —It was shown that some supposedly ancient vessels were almost new—von Däniken insisted that, apart from minor discrepancies, his theories were essentially sound.
En 1985, by Däniken escribió «New memories of the future» — «New Memories of the Future» — ostensibly to address his many critics: «I have admitted (my mistakes), but none of the foundations of my theories have been overturned«.
Although his popularity was waning in the English-speaking world in the 1980s, von Däniken’s books and films influenced a wave of semi-serious archaeological documentaries and numerous popular television showsincluding «The X-Files,» which featured two FBI agents tasked with solving paranormal mysteries.
His last major venture, a theme park based on his books, failed after only a few years due to lack of interest. The «Mystery Park» still stands, its artificial pyramids and otherworldly domes deteriorating as tourists prefer to explore the charms of the nearby city of Interlaken and the towering Swiss Alps that surround it.
Erich von Däniken is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elisabeth Skaja, Cornelia and two grandchildren.
With information from AP
D.D.
