Guide Note

The Grail Movement is a religious cult that follows the teachings of a German man named Oskar Ernst Bernhardt, who wrote under the pen name "Abd-ru-shin". In May of 2008, a leader of the cult, Jiri Adam, was arrested for keeping five women as slaves in his home for 20 years. Just a month later, a cult member, Klara Mauerova, testified in court to torturing her two sons.

Fast Facts

1. Collected writings of Abd-ru-shin: In the Light of Truth: The Grail Message
2. Writings first published in mid-1920s
3. Followers organized in Austria
4. After Nazi regime the followers regrouped
5. Over time groups emerged in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and parts of Africa¹
6. Celebrate three annual festivals¹
7. Followers are called "Crossbearers"¹
8. The group claims to have over 20,000 followers throughout the world¹
9. International headquarters in Austria