Theswastika was the first symbol ofNazism and remains strongly associated with it in the Western world.
The 20th-century GermanNazi Party made extensive use of graphicsymbols, especially theswastika, notably in the form of theswastika flag, which became the co-national flag ofNazi Germany in 1933, and the sole national flag in 1935. A very similar flag had represented the Party beginning in 1920.
Nazi symbols and additional symbols have subsequently been used byneo-Nazis.
The Nazis' principal symbol was the swastika, which the newly establishedNazi Party formally adopted in 1920.[1] The formal symbol of the party was theParteiadler, an eagle atop a swastika.
Nazi era coat of arms of Thuringia with the lion holding a swastika. The swastika was removed in 1945.
The ancient arms ofCoburg (left) featured the head ofSaint Maurice, a symbol looked down upon by the Nazi party. In 1934, it was replaced by a coat of arms featuring a sword with a swastika on the pommel (right). The original coat of arms was restored in 1945.
Under the Nazi regime, government bodies were encouraged to remove religious symbolism from theirheraldry. Few German councils actually changed their often ancient symbols. Some, however, did, includingCoburg, which replaced theMoor's head representingSaint Maurice on their arms with a sword and swastika, andThuringia, which added a swastika to the paws of their lion.[3]
Other symbols and insignia
Letters of theArmanen runes invented byGuido von List were used by theSS, particularly theDoppel Siegrune, based on the historicalsowilo rune reinterpreted by List to signify 'victory' instead of the sun. Other Armanen runes used by the Nazis and subsequently by neo-Nazis include forms derived fromEihwaz,Tiwaz,Algiz[4] andOthala.[5]
The public display of Nazi symbols and gestures are today banned by law in many countries, including Australia (since 2024),[9] Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany (seeStrafgesetzbuch section 86a), Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine.
On August 9, 2018, Germany lifted the ban on the usage of swastikas and other Nazi symbols in video games, allowing "games that critically look at current affairs" to be given an age rating instead by the manufacturer, such asUSK. The move was made to bring the legislation in line with films and other arts.[10][11]
Usage by neo-Nazi groups
Many symbols used by the Nazis have further been appropriated byneo-Nazi groups, including a number of runes: the so-calledBlack Sun, derived from a mosaic floor in Himmler's remodel ofWewelsburg; and theCeltic cross, originally a symbol used to represent pre-Christian and Christian European groups such as theIrish.[citation needed]
Neo-Nazis also employ various number symbols:
18, code forAdolf Hitler. The number comes from the position of the letters in the alphabet:A =1,H =8.[12]
14, from theFourteen Words coined by David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."[14]
14 and 88 are sometimes combined with each other (i.e. 14/88, 8814, 1488).[15] They are also sometimes depicted on dice.[16]
In 1997, Wolfgang Fröhlich, aHolocaust denier[17] and formerdistrict council member for theFreedom Party of Austria, alleged thatAdolf Hitler's favorite food was egg dumplings (Eiernockerl).[18] Some restaurants in Austria started advertising the dish as a "daily special" for the 20th of April, which is Hitler's date of birth,[18] and although the allegation about the dish has never been historically confirmed, someneofascists began eating it as a symbolic food to celebrate Hitler's birthday.[19]
^abHilmar Hoffmann, John Broadwin, Volker R. Berghahn.The Triumph of Propaganda: Film and National Socialism, 1933–1945. Berghahn Books, 1997. Pp. 16.
^Slater, Stephen (2003).The Complete Book of Heraldry: An International History Of Heraldry And Its Contemporary Uses. London: Anness Publishing. p. 212.ISBN0754810623.
^Wichert, Lasse (2018).Personale Mythen des Nationalsozialismus: Die Gestaltung des Einzelnen in literarischen Entwürfen. Genozid und Gedächtnis (in German). Wilhelm Fink. p. 154.ISBN978-3-7705-6342-5.
^"Nazi salute and hate symbols now outlawed".Attorney-General's portfolio.Australian Government. 8 January 2024. Retrieved28 January 2025.It is now unlawful to perform the Nazi salute in public or to publicly display, or trade in, Nazi hate symbols, with theAlbanese Government's landmark legislation coming into force today (Monday, 8 January).
^Kovaleski, Serge; Turkewitz, Julie; Goldstein, Joseph; Barry, Dan (10 December 2016)."An Alt-Right Makeover Shrouds the Swastikas".The New York Times.Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved12 December 2016.
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![SS death's head insignia[20]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTotenkopf.svg)
![Horizontally aligned Wolfsangel, used by the 2nd SS Panzer Division[21]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWolfsangel.svg)
![Winged Odal,[5] used by the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division (also used by the American-based "National Socialist Movement" from November 2016 until 2019)[22]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNazi_Odal_rune.svg)
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![The broken sun cross used by the German Faith Movement and the 5th SS Panzer Division, also used by the Thule Society[23]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSun_Cross_Swastika.svg)
