Erich Anton Paul von Däniken ( born April 14, 1935) is a Swiss author of several books about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling Chariots of the Gods, published in 1968. Däniken is one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the “paleo-contact” and ancient astronauts’ hypotheses.
Däniken is a co-founder of the Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association (AAS RA). He designed Mystery Park (now known as Jungfrau Park), a theme park located in Interlaken, Switzerland.
Däniken was born in Zofingen, Aargau. Brought up as a Roman Catholic, he attended the Saint-Michel International Catholic School in Fribourg, Switzerland. During his time at the school, he rejected the church’s interpretations of the Bible and developed an interest in astronomy and the phenomenon of flying saucers. At the age of 19, he was given a four-month suspended sentence for theft. He left the school and was apprenticed to a Swiss hotel for a time, before moving to Egypt. In December 1964, Däniken wrote Hatten unsere Vorfahren Besuch aus dem Weltraum? (“Did our Ancestors have a Visit from Space?”) for the German-Canadian periodical Der Nordwesten. While in Egypt, he was involved in a jewelry deal which resulted in a nine-month conviction for fraud and embezzlement upon his return to Switzerland.
Following his release, Däniken became manager of the Hotel Rosenhügel in Davos, Switzerland, during which time he wrote Chariots of the Gods?, which literally translated as “Memories of the Future”), working on the manuscript late at night after the hotel’s guests had retired. Against all expectations, the book gained widespread interest and became a bestseller.
In November 1968 Däniken was arrested for fraud, after falsifying hotel records and credit references in order to take out loans for $130,000 over a period of twelve years. He used the money for foreign travel to research his book. Two years later, Däniken was convicted for “repeated and sustained” embezzlement, fraud, and forgery, with the court ruling that the writer had been living a “playboy” lifestyle. He served one year of this sentence before being released.
His first book, Chariots of the Gods? had been published by the time of his trial, and its sales allowed him to repay his debts and leave the hotel business. Däniken wrote his second book, Gods from Outer Space, while in prison.
The general claim of Däniken over several published books, starting with Chariots of the Gods? in 1968, is that extraterrestrials or “ancient astronauts” visited Earth and influenced early human culture. Däniken writes about his belief that structures such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehedge, and the Moai of Easter Island and artifacts from that period represent higher technological knowledge than is presumed to have existed at the times they were manufactured. He also describes ancient artwork throughout the world as containing depictions of astronauts, air and space vehicles, extraterrestrials, and complex technology. Däniken explains the origins of religions as reactions to contact with an alien race and offers interpretations of sections of the Old Testament of the Bible.
Source of information –http://www.daniken.com/, Erich von Daniken
