I'm not sure there is a connection, but the ascent of the higher criticism, desupernaturalizing the Bible arose in Germany during that time. Immediately afterward, and I think causally connected, there was an increased interest in ancient German paganism which culminated in the Nazi regime. My own take on it--which may be wrong--is that there is a natural yearning in the human heart for a connection with the realm of the supernatural. The higher criticism made Biblical godliness unfashionable so people sought the alternative which was neo-paganism. That's my 2 cents.

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Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia