New Acropolis

{{cult}}
{{Cquote|This structure (New Acropolis) feeds on men and the fit ones transfuse them into their great body, into their great [[Soul]], to turn them into some level of supermen. The inept must be left behind. Such is the painful Law. They will be picked up by some hyena-structure that feeds on carrion|||'''Jorge Angel Livraga''', probably speaking about DC Comics cosplay or something.}}

'''New Acropolis''' (NA) (Spanish: ''Nueva Acrópolis'') is a [[far-right]] esotericist organization, often described as a [[cult]].<ref name="soul">{{cite web|title=Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults|last=Jean-Marie Abgrall|date=|url=https://books.google.co.cr/books?id=QoFJIJr57b8C&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq=new+acropolis+far+right+cult&source=bl&ots=DUxTHz73xu&sig=JRrp3pGZuZbuh6TEIVqptzcSuN8&hl=es&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7nLK8_snYAhUKt1MKHcXpBeEQ6AEIdzAN#v=onepage&q=new%20acropolis%20far%20right%20cult&f=false}}</ref><ref name="cesnur">{{cite web|title=Defectors, Ordinary Leavetakers and Apostates: A Quantitative Study of Former Members of New Acropolis in France|work=CESNUR|date=1999|url=http://www.cesnur.org/testi/Acropolis.htm}}</ref> Although there are accusations that it is [[Fascism|neo-fascist]] and [[neo-Nazi]], most scholars agree that is closer to being [[Conservative|ultra-conservative]], traditionalist and anti-democratic.<ref name="cesnur" /><ref name="survival">{{cite web|title=New Acropolis|date=2012|url=http://survinat.com/2012/03/new-acropolis/}}</ref> New Acropolis did condemn [[Nazism]] and [[fascism]] once (but only after they were accused of being fascist).<ref name="cesnur"/> It presents itself under the façade of a "cultural center" for the study of [[philosophy]] and [[art]]s, but its courses focus mostly on Western and Eastern esotericism and [[Theosophy]].

==History==
Its founder was [[Argentina|Argentinian]] writer {{wpl|Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi}} {{lived|1930|1991}}. As with many cult leaders, Livraga's life and achievements are greatly exaggerated by the organization's official biography. What seems to be true is that he was born in Argentina in 1930 of Italian-Argentinian parents. His official biographers claim that he began studies in [[history]], art history and [[medicine]] in Buenos Aires but did not finish. He also allegedly won the 1951 Argentine National Poetry Prize (but the only source of that is NA) for his poetry book "Lotos", co-writen by Olga and Ada Albrecht although Livraga and NA do not credit them.<ref name="engaño">{{cite web|title=El Gran Engaño La verdad sobre Nueva Acrópolis|work=Alerta|date=2012|url=http://victimasectas.com/NuevaAcropolis/NuevaAcropolis.html}}</ref> Among his many "titles" are scholar of the "International Philo-Byzantine Academy and University" (a [[diploma mill]] university of esotericism that gave a doctor's degree to famous [[astrologer]] {{wpl|Walter Mercado}} in "divinity")<ref>[http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/441-bad-and-good-sta.. James Randi Educational Foundation]</ref> and of the "International Burckhardt Academy" of Rome which seems to be only a [[vanity publishing]] house,<ref name="engaño"/> recipient of knighthood from the Real Orden de San Ildefonso y San Atilano alongside his personal friend [[Augusto Pinochet]]<ref name="engaño" /> (how and why would a conservative Catholic order would grant knighthood to an esotericist is unknown), and recipient of the silver cross from the Société Académique Arts Sciences Lettres which, if such prize is given, there's no record anywhere outside of the NA official sites. NA also used to list him as an [[archeologist]] and doctor in philosophy from the Aztec Academy of Arts, but since the Academy does not exist, even NA stopped making this claim.<ref name="engaño" /> It seems that Livraga's biography is as imaginative (but more boring than) that of [[L. Ron Hubbard]]'s.

What is known from [[Hearsay|second-hand sources]] is that he wasn’t very well liked among the Argentinian esotericist community.{{cn}} One of the very few things that Livraga's biography claims that seems to be true is his membership in the Theosophical Society of Argentina between 1950 and 1962, the period during which he met his wife Ada Albrecht and they both founded New Acropolis and the magazine ''Estudios Teosóficos'' (Theosophic Studies). It seems that Livraga was jealous of Albrecht's accomplishments whilst Albrecht was [[skeptical]] of his wannabe husband's paramilitary delusions leading to the couple's bitter [[divorce]]. Livraga got the custody of New Acropolis, and Albrecht then founded her own 
cult
 organization; the Hastinapura Foundation.<ref>{{wpa|Ada Albrecht}}</ref>

Livraga was expelled from the Theosophical Society due to bad behavior.<ref name="ts">{{cite web|title=The Theosophical Society's Position on New Acropolis|work=kelebekler|date=|url=http://www.kelebekler.com/cesnur/txt/theosophy.htm}}</ref> although he claims that he was instructed by then-president of the Society, Sri Ram, to create NA because the TS was "decadent".<ref name="engaño"/> Of this of course only Livraga's testimony exists, but anyone outside of NA does not take such a claim seriously, as Sri Ram kept working as president of the TS until his death.<ref name="engaño" />

Livraga moved to [[Spain]], where he founded a New Acropolis branch in 1971 under [[Francisco Franco]]'s regime. Critics of the organization often mention this as evidence of NA's far-right leanings as no organization in Francoist Spain could legally be founded if wasn't at least close to the regime's [[ideology]]. In any case the group soon spread all over [[Europe]], the Americas and some Asian countries including [[Israel]] and [[India]].

Several countries investigated NA for the cult accusations, most notably [[France]], which blacklisted NA as a cult after a report of the {{wpl|Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France|Parliamentary Commission on Cults|.}} In [[Belgium]], it also has the cult status.{{cn}} The Cottrell report for the European Parliament also included it among the list of cults.{{cn}} The Wikipedia page<ref>{{wpa|New Acropolis}}</ref> often claims the French Parliament report was later abandoned, but sources from the French government told ''Vice Magazine'' as of 2014 that they still consider NA a paramilitary far-right cult and that it is under surveillance.<ref name="vice">{{cite web|title=El hombre que escapó de Nueva Acrópolis|work=Vice|date=2014|url=https://www.vice.com/es_mx/article/4w9d89/el-hombre-que-escapo-de-nueva-acropolis-308-v7n1}}</ref> Livraga was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in Madrid in 1988. After a period of growth in the 1980s and 1990s with the organization claiming to have some 20,000 members, the group entered a period of decline.

==Ideology==
{{main|Ideology}}
The main esoteric source of NA is Theosophy (which isn't [[racist]] in itself, [[Helena Blavatsky|Blavatsky]]'s positions not withstanding) which is why NA is often considered an offshoot, but not that the feeling is mutual as the Theosophical Society loathes Livraga.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080819210457/http://www.theosophy.com/theos-talk/200612/tt00828.html Re: N. Sri Ram and New Acropolis?] by Carl Ek (Dec 21, 2006 04:31 AM) ''Theos-Talk Email List'' (archived from August 19, 2008).</ref><ref name="ts"/> NA also has a strong influence from traditionalist and [[paleoconservative]] sources of which [[Plato]]nism (or more accurately, the organization's interpretation of Platonism) is probably the most important. According to some scholars, it is from Plato's anti-democracy and pro-hierarchy position that NA takes most of its [[authoritarian]] ideas,<ref name="cesnur"/> with the help of other influences like traditional [[Hindu]] thought (particularly the [[caste system]], which is very similar to Plato's social hierarchy proposal), [[Julius Evola]]'s writings, [[Nietzsche|Nietzscheanism]] and [[Confucianism]]. NA is also deeply [[homophobic]] and expels [[gay]] members if discovered,<ref name="vice" /> it regards modern [[Western civilization]] as decadent with [[postmodernism]], and that [[Modern art and architecture|current art]] and [[democracy]] are part of the decay. NA is close to be a doomsday cult because it teaches that the human society is near to collapse and is in the "[[Kali Yuga]]" (a Hindu concept similar to the [[Christian]] [[End of the world|End of Times]] or the [[Nordic]] [[Ragnarok]]). The idea of a "Second Middle Age" in the current moment of history is also an important part of NA's apocalyptic narrative.<ref name="engaño"/>

Former members do accuse it of having certain [[racialist]] ideas mostly inspired by esoteric racial concepts of the 18<sup>th</sup> century and [[pseudoscience]]. The former members seem to believe in some sort of "racial hierarchy" with humanity divided into "seven races", of which Africans are at the bottom and whites on top. Whites at the same time are divided into seven sub-races of which [[German]]s are on top and [[Hebrews]] on the bottom.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190329174023/http://the-geek.org/escepticos/200004/msg00510.html Nueva acropolis: neonazis esotericos] by Pedro Luis Gomez Barrondo (16 Apr 2000 03:11:03 +0200) ''Lista Escéptica'' (archived from March 19, 2019).</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Authoritarianism]]

Categories: Authoritarianism