The Nazi symbols Are one of the most significant distinctions of the last century, but unfortunately will remain in the retina as icons of horror, atrocity or monstrous.
Throughout history, symbols have been used to represent abstract concepts, such as values, ideological and political positions. For example, by default, crosses are directly related to Christianity; The red flags are traditionally associated with leftist, socialist and communist political currents.
Symbols, like any other element created by the human being, can be used and abused. There are many images that have been used to intimidate and cause psychological damage to a group. This is the case of the symbology employed by the German National Socialist Party during the first decades of the twentieth century.
The National Socialist Party, better known as the Nazi Party, was founded in 1921. Based on pan-Germanic, totalitarian, anti-communist and anti-Semitic ideologies, this party defended the supremacy of the Aryan race and initiated a policy of racism and aversion against any people it assumed A threat to the integrity of the country.
Today, any image that refers to Nazism is associated with one of the greatest crimes in history: the Holocaust and the genocide of Jewish people.
The most outstanding Nazi symbols
The swastika
One of the main symbols of Nazism is the swastika. It is necessary to emphasize that the Germans were not the first or the only ones to use this symbol, and in ancient Troy this cross was used as decoration in pottery and coins; For Hindus and Buddhists, this cross is a sacred symbol; Even in the culture of American aborigines, the swastika was used.
Buddha / Photo retrieved from"Understanding the Swastika: Use and abuse of a sacred symbol"
Origin
The word"swastika"comes from Sanskrit and means"that brings good luck and well-being". Before being adopted by the Nazis, the swastika was used to represent strength, sun and good luck.
According to Joscelyn Godwin, the form of the swastika comes from the most well-known constellation of the boreal sky: the Great Bear, also known as Big Cart or Arktos; For this reason the swastika is also used to represent the North Pole.
The Swastika and the German Nationalists
Due to the absence of the cross in Egyptian and Phoenician cultures, the hypothesis was born that the swastika was an exclusively Aryan symbol. Then some German groups, such as the Theosophical Society, adopted the cross to represent the migration of the Aryan race from their homeland in the North Pole to the European continent.
From the nineteenth century, the cross was adopted by German nationalist groups and by the end of the century, the swastika could be found in the German newspapers; Even, became the official emblem of the German Gymnastics League.
The swastika gained popularity among anti-Semitic groups thanks to the writings of Guido von List and Lanz von Liebenfels, who took the symbol to represent the pure German race. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the cross was present in the emblem of the Wandervogel, a German youth movement and in anti-Semitic newspapers, such as the"Ostara".
In May 1912 a group of anti-Semitic and Pan-Germanic people met in Leipzig with the aim of forming two organizations that would alert Germans to the danger posed by Jews and their influence on the country's economic system. From this meeting were born the Reichshammerbund and the Germanenorden (The German Order).
In 1918, the German Order became the Thule Society, making reference to the hyperboreal continent (Thule), which, together with the mythical land of Atlantis, was the origin of the religious and spiritual traditions of modern society. This society took as emblem a dagger surrounded by oak leaves, superimposed on a swastika with curved arms.
Emblem of the Thule Society / Photo retrieved from"Invisible Eagle: A History of Nazi Occultism"
In 1925, Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist Party, wrote a book titled My struggle , Where he exposed, among other things, the need to have a badge and a flag. He chose the Swastika as a badge, because it represented the land of the north, home to the Aryan race, as well as the supremacy of that race.
Thus, the swastika became a symbol of hatred, anti-Semitism, violence, death, murder, racism, holocaust and, above all, the official mark of genocide.
The direction of the swastika
There are two types of swastikas: one that rotates clockwise and another that goes against it. In antiquity, the two crosses were used indiscriminately, as shown by the Chinese drawings made in silk.
It should be noted that in some cultures the two crosses were used to represent different realities: the one that followed the clockwise sense was called swastika and represented health and life, while its opposite was called swastika and represented bad luck and misfortune.
With the arrival of the Nazis to power, the meaning of the crosses changed and nowadays, it is called swastika to the cross that turns to the right (the one that was adopted by the German nationalists). Currently, the meaning of this cross is related to death and grief.
To the left, swastika. Today represents fortune and well-being / Right, swastika, symbol of the Holocaust carried out during World War II.
Flag
Flag Creation and Meaning
When the need arose to have a banner for the National Socialist Party, Hitler asked for suggestions for the design of this. In his book My struggle , Noted that the design of Friedrich Krohn, a dentist from Sternberg, was the one that most approached his desires.
He also indicated that the red of the flag represented the social idea of movement, white represented the idea of nationalism, while the black swastika in the center was the symbol of the struggle for victory of the Aryan race. These colors were taken from the flag of the German Empire, in order to transmit the idea of reconstruction of the empire.
Flag of the National Socialist Party
Runes and the Nazi Party
The Next Rune and the Protection Squadron
The Protection Squadron, also known as the Schutzstaffel or SS, was an organization created in 1925 by Heinrich Himmler. The emblem of the squadron was composed of two runes sig. The sig rune means"the sun"and is commonly used to denote victory.
Schutzstaffel Emblem / Photo retrieved from"Extreme Right Wing symbols, numbers and acronyms"
Runa tyr
Tyr is the Nordic god from the war. In Nazi Germany, the tyr rune was also known as the rune of the battle or arrow and symbolized leadership in the field of war.
This symbol was used after World War I by diverse organizations and, later, was adopted by the Hiltlerjungend (Hitler Youths, organization Nazi created to train young adolescents).
Rune Tyr. Stitched to the upper left arm of a jacket, it indicated that the wearer had graduated from the Reichführerschule / Photo retrieved from"Odinist Pagan Runes and Symbols Used by Hitler's Nazi Germany"
Rune hagall
This rune was used in the honorary rings of the SS, also known as"dead head rings". Himmler stated in this respect that the sum of the swastika and the hagall rune represented the unshakable faith of the Nazis.
Runa hagall / Photo retrieved from"Odinist Pagan Runes and Symbols Used by Hitler's Nazi Germany"
"Totenkopf"or"Head of Dead Rings"/ Photo retrieved from"Invisible Eagle: A History of Nazi Occultism"
These rings were awarded by Heinrich Himmler to select members of the Protection Squad. On the rings are engravings of the runes hagall and ger, and the swastika.
Rune odal
The word"odal"comes from the Anglo-Saxon and means"earth, possession, inheritance". For the Nazis, the Rune Odal was a symbol of the land and the purity of blood, used to convey ideology Blut und Bunden (Blood and Earth).
Rune odal. Emblem used by some members of the SS or Protection Squad. He was also employed by members of the Hitler Youth / Photo retrieved from"Odinist Pagan Runes and Symbols Used by Hitler's Nazi Germany".
German propaganda
Under the control of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, German propaganda became a vehicle for stereotyped images and symbols against any culture that posed a threat to the supremacy of the Aryan race, with Jews being the main recipients of this racism.
However, the policy of Nazi hatred was not limited to the Hebrews, but extended to any person or group who, according to the Germans, did not deserve the honor of being called a citizen, such as Communists, Gypsies and even Germans with disabilities or With cognitive commitments.
The ideology of German hatred was translated into simple images that showed a contrast between good and evil, Germans and non-Germans. In this way, the popular masses were appealed to, convincing them of the superiority of the Aryans and the need to expel the lower groups who"contaminated"the pure German race.
"Let's put an end to economic slavery. Vote for the National Socialist Party", 1924 / Photo recovered from"It's Them or Us: Killing the Jews in Nazi Propaganda"
The above image is an example of anti-Semitic propaganda in which a dwarven Jew is presented holding a whip and riding on a German.
"Things are getting better and better"(1925) / Photo recovered from"It's Them or Us: Killing the Jews in Nazi Propaganda"
The previous cartoon, published in the journal of Joseph Goebbels, Der Angriff , Is of a theme similar to that of the first propaganda. In this, Germany is represented by a German (blindfolded and surrounded by bayonets), whose pockets are being emptied by a Jewish hand, while Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann assures him that things are improving.
These images have two elements in common: the innocent representation of the Germans and the depiction of the Jews as evil figures who use and abuse the Germans.
"Do not let them escape", (1935) / Photo recovered from"It's Them or Us: Killing the Jews in Nazi Propaganda"
The image above shows a serpent covered with stars of David, alluding to the Jews; Likewise, this animal is given stereotyped traits attributed to the Hebrews, such as the prominent nose. It should be noted that this propaganda differs from the previous ones, since it gives the Germans an active role.
Another of the most common themes of Nazi propaganda was the transformation of Hitler into a messiah.
One of the most common posters that helped build the image that the National Socialist Party wanted to convey to the German people / Photo recovered from"Analysis of Nazi Propaganda: A Behavioral Study"
In the image above, the halo of light surrounding Hitler and the presence of a bird give the poster an angelic character. In addition, Hitler is presented as a leader who guides his people.
The symbology used by the National Socialist Party pointed to the triumph of the Germans over other peoples. In addition, his images were loaded with violence, hatred and racism, directed mainly to the Jews, as evidenced by the advertisements spread during his term.
References
- Zald, M. (2016). Politics and Symbols: A Review Article. Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from tandfonline.com.
- American Jewish Committee and Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. (S.f.). Understanding the Swastika: Use and abuse of a sacred symbol. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from ifc.org.
- Baker, A. (2000). Invisible Eagle: The History of Nazi Occultism. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from cdn.net.
- Rosenberg, J. (s.f.). The History of the Swastika. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from history1900s.about.com.
- Taylor, S. (1981). Symbol and ritual under National Socialism. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from jstor.org.
- Narayanaswami, K. (s.f.). 4) Analysis of Nazi Propaganda. A Behavioral Study. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from blogs.harvard.edu.
- Odinist Pagan Rune and Symbols Use by Hitler's Nazy German. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from usminc.org.
- Norse Runes Symbols and the Third Reich. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from vikigrune.com.
- Bytwerk, Randall and College, Calvin. (2012). It's Them or Us: Killing the Jews in Nazi Propaganda. Retrieved on February 11, 2017, from bytwerk.com.