Erich von Däniken

Who is Erich von Däniken?

Erich Anton Paul von Däniken is a Swiss author of several books which make controversial claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling Chariots of the Gods?, published in 1968. Von Däniken is one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the "paleo-contact" and ancient astronauts hypotheses. The ideas put forth in his books are largely rejected by scientists and academics, who categorize his work as pseudohistory and pseudoarchaeology.

Von Däniken wrote his first book while working as manager of the Hotel Rosenhügel in Davos, Switzerland. He was convicted of several financial crimes, including fraud, shortly after its publication. The revenue from the sales of his book allowed him to repay his debts and leave the hotel business. Von Däniken wrote his second book, Gods from Outer Space, while in prison.

Von Däniken later became a co-founder of the Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association. He designed Mystery Park, a theme park located in Interlaken, Switzerland, that opened on 23 May 2003.