The Templars and Uranus

In the Rennes-le-Château area, once a key stronghold of the Knights Templar, numerous theories circulate about mysterious vaults and their potential treasures. One of the most intriguing, presented by Monika Hauf in her book "The Templars - Myths and Reality," suggests that the monks may have mined uranium. Hauf supports her thesis with archaeological evidence and a medieval document that may indicate the element's lethal properties. Although Bauer presents arguments against this theory, the fascination with the history of the Templars and their hidden secrets continues to attract researchers and enthusiasts.

There are many theories about what lies beneath the vaults and caves of the Rennes-le-Château area, which was known to be one of the key strongholds of the Order of the Temple in France. Some of them border on the absurd and fantastic.

Martin Bauer presents an extremely interesting theory about the mystery of the underground mines at this location in his book "The Templars – Myths and Reality." He cites Monika Hauf's thesis that the Templars mined uranium there. This sounds as improbable as it is mysterious. However, the researcher provides concrete evidence to support her theory: excavations in this area were begun by the Grand Master of the Order, Bertrand of Blanquefort, in 1156. Although he had a vast labor force on site, he ordered workers brought in from all the way from Germany. This was done to prevent them from spreading the word among the French-speaking population about what they were searching for underground, and so that, if they experienced symptoms of radiation exposure, they could be sent back to their homeland, where they would end their lives in an aura of secrecy.

Another piece of evidence is a medieval document discovered by Father Berenger de Saunière during renovations to a nearby church in the late 19th century. It bears an inscription that can be translated as: "This is the treasure of King Dagobert II of Zion, and he is death, or rather, he means death." This is usually connected to the legend of the Grail bloodline (Dagobert was supposedly a descendant of Jesus), but according to Monika Hauf, it could have been a warning about the deadly contents of the vaults.Hauf also reveals what the Templars did with uranium. According to her, the monks used the radioactive element to secretly murder their opponents. Many of them died for no apparent reason from exhaustion, which was supposedly a consequence of radiation exposure.

The theory is interesting, but Martin Bauer lists several arguments against it: if uranium deposits had ever been found in the mines in this region, their existence could have been confirmed through simple tests. Furthermore, until the atomic age, practically until the 20th century, the properties of this element were unknown (though this doesn't mean that a certain group of people couldn't experience them firsthand if they accidentally mined the raw material – Baldwin).

And finally, given that uranium had no measurable value until modern times, the sudden wealth of the parish of Rennes-le-Château and its parish priest, Saunière, which led to all the interest in the area, which was supposed to hold the secrets of the Templar treasure (and perhaps the Cathars and the Holy Grail), remains a mystery.