Nordic Indo-Germanic People

The Nordic Indo-Germanic people refers to a mythological or hypothetical ethnolinguistic group proposed in 19th-century nationalist and pseudoscientific discourse, particularly within German-speaking territories. This concept suggested that the Germanic peoples were direct descendants of a primordial Nordic Indo-Germanic race. The idea emerged during the early 19th century, shaped by the efforts of philologists, ethnologists, and historians who sought to trace the origins of the Germanic populations.

Initially, scholarly interest focused on the Eastern origins of the Germanic peoples, in line with broader Indo-European studies. However, in the later part of the 19th century, the narrative shifted. Researchers and ideologues increasingly promoted a theory that emphasized a Nordic origin for Germanic civilization. This reinterpretation became intertwined with nationalist ideologies and played a prominent role in shaping discussions around German identity during the period.

From the 1920s onward, elements of this theory were appropriated by radical nationalist and Pan-German movements, including the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany. These ideas were used to justify territorial expansion under the concept of Lebensraum ("living space") and to support racial policies aimed at preserving what was claimed to be the purity of the Nordic or Aryan race. The Nazi regime, particularly figures such as Heinrich Himmler, integrated these notions into broader racial theories and eugenic practices, including efforts to identify and "recover" individuals thought to possess so-called "lost Germanic genes."