Great Bend native Alan Detrich has seen some exotic artifacts in his career as an artist, antique store owner, and dinosaur fossil hunter. But the 1966 GBHS graduate was not prepared for what he would see on June 26, 1991 in Vienna, Austria.
Detrich was in Vienna to complete the sale of a plesiosaur fossil specimen to the Natural History museum in Vienna. When Detrich offered a gift of Native American arrowheads from Kansas to the Natural History museum, Dr. Herbert Summesberger directed him to the Hofburg Imperial Palace Arms and Armor museum across the plaza. The Hofburg Imperial Palace contains several museums. In addition to museums, the Hofsburg sports the balcony on which Napoleon and then Hitler appeared.
The President’s office is a part of the Hofburg complex. In making his way to the Hofburg Palace Museum of Arms and Armour, Detrich met Kurt Waldheim, the Austrian President who previously served as Secretary General of the United Nations.
Detrich toured the various museums, including the Imperial Treasury, which publicly displays what is purported to be The Holy Lance, the spear that was thrust into Jesus side during the crucifixion. The Gospel of John, Chapter 19:34 states that one of the soldiers took a spear and pierced Jesus; side, and blood and water gushed out.”
Detrich realized after viewing the “Spear of Destiny” on public display that it was a 7th or 8th century fake. “The one on public display is the counterfeit Holy Lance that Hitler seized in 1938 that was returned to the museum after the war.” Hitler believed that the Nazis being in possession of the Holy Lance would make them invincible. When American troops entered Berlin, the Fuhrer committed suicide, never knowing that the Holy Lance he possessed was a fake. It was returned to Austria.
Detrich was fascinated by the famous balcony he saw through the glass windows at the Hofburg: the balcony on which Hitler and Napoleon appeared.
Detrich was determined to walk on the Hitler balcony, but his host, Dr. Feist, refused.
“No one has been on that balcony since Hitler,” he said. Detrich pressed the issue. Exasperated by Detrich’s demand, the curator said the words that would change Detrich’s life: “I’ll show you something better.”
The curator took Detrich down several flights of stairs that were steep and not for public use. Dr. Feist took Detrich into the “catacombs” of the famous building. They entered a pitch dark room where the curator pulled a string to turn on the light bulb. Detrich saw an oak case covered with glass that held a spear-like object.
“What’s that?” said Detrich. The curator, Dr. Feist, told Detrich that it was the authentic Holy Lance, the Spear of Destiny hidden in the catacombs to evade capture by Hitler.
Detrich studied the spear through the glass covering. It had leaf-shaped cutouts that would allow blood to drop off the spear when a Roman soldier pierced a body above the soldier. When Detrich saw a rust-colored substance on the tip of the spear, he asked the curator what it was, and Dr. Feist said: “That is the blood of Jesus of Nazareth.”
A new book, “Almighty Obsession,” by Tom Field, reveals Detrich’s obsession: to clone Jesus of Nazareth using the limited blood sample that is available on the Holy Lance. The book is available on Amazon.
The book is a World War II thriller regarding the efforts to prevent Hitler from securing the Holy Lance. The book then advances to modern day science fiction, and the cloning of Jesus of Nazareth.
“It occurred to me that Jesus’ Second Coming could occur through the scientific discoveries of DNA,” said Detrich. Detrich, who has inspected the Shroud of Turin in Italy, is skeptical that blood from the shroud is authentic or could be used for such purposes.
Detrich indicates that seeing the Holy Lance changed his life. “That’s when I decided to go to KU, and began making bronze casts of the Spear of Destiny. Gold was the only element worthy of the blood of Jesus, so I placed 24k gold on the tip of the spears,” he said.
BY MARTY KEEKAN
Special to the Tribune
Fossil hunter inspires historic fiction
LAWRENCE — Kansas fossil hunter Alan Detrich, formerly of Great Bend, is credited as the inspiration for a book of historical fiction that also serves as an advertisement for the artifacts and fossils he sells.
“Almighty Obsession,” by Kansas author Tom Field, tells a story of international mystery about the so-called Spear of Jesus, said to be the weapon that pierced the side of Christ as he breathed his last breath on the cross.
Another former resident, Marty Keenan, is also a writer and mentions “Almighty Obsession” in his blog (see adjacent column). “The book is set in World War II, and the Spear of Jesus relic (also called the Spear of Destiny or Spear of Longinus) is in the hands of Adolf Hitler and is said to be giving him immense power. A German-born scientist from Kansas helps lead a complicated plot to retrieve the spear and deprive Hitler and his Nazi killing machine of its power,” Keenan wrote. “Various religions produce relics from their histories, which get bought, sold, stolen, displayed, hidden and otherwise used and misused. Christianity is no different. And this book draws on all that to tell an intriguing story, some of which may even be true.”
The book has three appendixes: 1) photo credits and how to make on offer on items for sale in the Detrich Collection; 2) a brief biography of Detrich; 3) “Alan Detrich’s recounting of his experience with the Spear of Jesus.”; 4) a note about the author.
Detrich appears in a few YouTube videos. Search for Alan Detrich: Fossil Hunter.
