Alfred Witte - Trans-Neptunian Hypothesis

Trans-Neptunian Hypothesis

In Wiite's times, many Astronomers proposed hypothetical Trans-Neptunian objects. So Witte proposed the existence of several hypothetical Trans-Neptunian objects, too. While modern technology has verified the existence of thousands of Trans-Neptunian objects, the specific Trans-Neptunian objects that are used by the Hamburg School and Uranian astrology have not yet been validated or disproven as of September 2011. Some members of the Hamburg School have for a number of years asserted that some of Witte's Trans-Neptunians may actually be the barycenters of clusters of Trans-Neptunian objects, and shun both the labels "planet" and "object" for this reason. Witte did however describe the colors of two of his inner Transneptunians, Cupido and Hades, in articles in the anthology Der Mensch - Eine Empfangsstation kosmischer Suggestionen. Witte was prohibited by the Third Reich from recording his observations during the last years of his life.

Witte was considered an enemy of the German Third Reich and his main book, the Regelwerk für Planetenbilder (Rulebook for Planetary Pictures) was banned and burned by the Nazis. Astrologers were interned in June 1941, like e.g. Rudolph. Witte was not interned but under police observation by the GeStaPo. He committed suicide (he worried about his state pension), in 1941. His work was resurrected by his students, among whom was Ludwig Rudolph, after 1945.

In the mid 20th century, a collection of Witte’s observations and techniques came to be described in the English speaking world as Uranian astrology.