Franz (also known as František) Bardon (1909-1958) was an occultist and a teacher of Hermeticism. He was born in Opava, in Austrian Silesia, now part of the Czech Republic. He was the eldest of 13 siblings. His father, Viktor, was a devoted Christian mystic, while little biographical information is available about his mother, Hedvika Herodkova. Franz Bardon had two children, Lumir and Marie.
His story blends truth and legend, and we actually know very little about his personal life. According to one of these legends, when he was 16, the spirit of a master initiate named Arion came to inhabit his body in response to his father’s prayers, who was seeking personal guidance.
In his early years, Bardon worked as a respected theatrical performer under the name “Frabato.” His interest in occult practices led to his imprisonment for three and a half years in a Nazi concentration camp during his thirties. Little is known about his experiences during that time, aside from the general horror of the situation. Some speculate that the real reason for his imprisonment was his refusal to disclose his occult methods to the Führer.
Following that experience, he gained recognition as both a healer and a teacher of Hermeticism. Around this time, he authored three notable books: “Initiation into Hermetics” (IIH), “The Practice of Magical Evocation” (PME), and “The Key to the True Kabbalah” (KTQ).
His healing methods and efforts to popularise occult practices angered the Czechoslovakian Communist government that emerged after the war. In the late 1950s, Bardon was imprisoned once again, and it is believed he died from pancreatitis while incarcerated. Details surrounding his final days are contradictory. His family was not allowed to see his body; the police destroyed his laboratory, and his papers were either burned or confiscated.
According to his direct students, Bardon was a person of great humanity and humility who did not seek greatness or power. Instead, he aimed to create a system of Hermetic Magic accessible to all men and women of goodwill. There has been much speculation about who Bardon’s human teachers were. While there are many parallels with other practices, both Eastern and Western, the coherence of a system—regardless of its origin—is ultimately what matters most.
Bibliography of Franz Bardon (in English)
- Initiation into Hermetics – Salt Lake City 2016
- The Practice of Magical Evocation – Salt Lake City 2017
- The Key to the True Kabbalah – Salt Lake City 2015
- The Golden Book of Wisdom – Prague 2021
- Frabato the Magician – Baltimore 1996