Hitler's Third Reich and World War II in the News is a daily edited review of WWII news, providing thought- provoking collection of hand-picked WW2 information.

Category: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem  -- See latest WWII news here. See also 'Nazi uniform', 'Nazi Helmets', 'Third Reich militaria', 'Tanks: Tiger, Panther, T-34', 'Scale models', 'Nazi flags', 'Medals'.

How Adolf Hitler and Nazi signs stormed the marketing world
A taboo on using Adolf Hitler and Nazi signs to sell products is weakening. Is it just ad-land's love of shock value? In a South Korean tv, a woman in a military trenchcoat holds a soldier's cap bearing a motif of an eagle gripping a swastika: "Even Hitler could not take over the East and West at the same time." A Ukrainian energy company used the image of Hitler to threaten customers who fail to pay their gas bills. A hotel in Belgrade had a very popular Adolf Hitler-themed suite. In New Zealand, the Hell Pizza chain had Hitler delivering a sieg-heil salute while holding a slice of pizza.     [ thejc :: 2008-04-26 :: Springtime for Hitler ]

We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons
Swastikas can be funny, says cartoonist Sam Gross, whose book is devoted to cartoons featuring the symbol most often linked with the German Nazi Party. The swastika is the focus of the jokes in "We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons". The idea came to him during a news story about a boy who was drawing the swastika symbol on garage doors. Gross didn't realize why the story made headline news. "The symbol is held in such awe and terror. I just got so angry that I decided to have fun with it." The goal was both to take the power out of the swastika.     [ cbc :: 2008-03-21 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Finland: A charity is selling swastika rings to raise funds for WWII vets
A Finnish charity is selling silver rings inscribed with a swastika to raise money for 80,000 Finnish World War II veterans. The silver bands feature a swastika flanked by stylized wings. 16,000 have been sold so far. The rings are replicas of the 1940 "Air Defence" ring, which was part of a wartime effort to raise money for the Finnish air force. The campaign encouraged Finns to donate their gold wedding bands to back up the war effort. In exchange they received a ring made of iron. The swastika is a traditional symbol in Finland, and a blue swastika was used as the symbol of the Finnish Air Force 1918-1945.     [ telegraph :: 2007-12-18 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Wikipedia: too many nazi symbols on Hitler Youth page - Case dropped
Left Party politician Katina Schubert filed charges against Wikipedia's German site for having banned Nazi symbols, only to bow to pressure from her party and withdraw the case. "My complaints relate to content .. such as an article about the Hitler Youth movement." The article features Nazi symbols, which, she argues, can be easily downloaded and disseminated. Public display of Nazi symbols is outlawed in Germany, but the symbols can be used for educational and artistic aims. "But the extent and frequency of the symbols on it goes beyond what is needed for documentation and political education, in my view."     [ dw-world :: 2007-12-08 ]

A Nazi sign of the times: Swastika - a sign of rebellion
Punk rocker John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, was spot on when he shared his thoughts on the swastika and Nazi insignia. "It's a loser's emblem, because the Nazis lost the war." Not everyone shares Lydon's view. For the far right, despite the collapse of the Third Reich, it remains a symbol of white supremacy. But not all those who sport a swastika subscribe to extremist views. And many who wear the symbol are not sympathetic to Third Reich ideology. The swastika is worn for shock value: It's a sign of rebellion, a fashion statement. Many who choose to buy a swastika badge would think twice if they were acquainted with the historical facts.     [ TJ :: 2007-08-10 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Barclays plans to ditch 'Nazi' eagle logo
The High Street bank Barclays is planning to drop its 317-year-old eagle logo because of concerns that it has Nazi overtones - to appease the Dutch bank ABN Amro with which it is about to merge. If the merger goes ahead Barclays has promised to move its HQ to Amsterdam, a city that was occupied by Nazis during World War II. The Nazis used the historic Germanic eagle as part of its iconography. The eagle logo used by Barclays predates the Nazi era by 230 years, and it has been modified many times in the past. The black Teutonic-style eagle emblazoned on a shield was redrawn blue with less fierce talons in 1981.     [ telegraph :: 2007-06-20 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Nazi insignia allowed -- Anti-Nazi swastika OK
Germany's highest judicial court scrapped a ruling against a man convicted of breaching a ban on Nazi symbols by selling T-shirts with a crossed-out swastika. Juergen Kamm had been fined 3600 euros for "selling unconstitutional symbols." But the federal court of justice found that Kamm had committed no crime because the items he sold clearly carried an anti-Nazi message. The court did not believe that its ruling would be exploited by rightwingers as a loophole enabling them to wear Nazi insignia: "They will not wear Nazi insignia that have been corrupted in this way because they will see it as a travesty of something that they regard as 'holy.'"     [ int :: 2007-03-16 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Germany bids to outlaw Nazi Symbols in EU
Germany moved to outlaw denial of the Holocaust, the parading of Nazi symbols, and racist speech across Europe, using a meeting of EU ministers to call for jail terms of up to 3years for the offences. Had the practices been outlawed earlier, Prince Harry would have been in breach of the law in 2005 when he was photographed in a Wehrmacht uniform with a Nazi swastika armband.     [ guardian :: 2007-01-16 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Anti-nazi use of nazi symbol swastika in T-shirts, badges outlawed
Juergen Kamm makes a modest living fighting neo-nazis, selling items bearing swastikas, the nazi symbol that has been forbidden in Germany since the end of World War II, as part of a campaign to rid the extremists. "Smash Fascism!" one badge urges. A court ruled that he might as well be a nazi himself. Never mind that he displayed the swastika only inside a crossed-out circle. "This mass-market risked undermining its taboo status," judge said. Since the end of the Third Reich, it has been illegal in Germany to display the swastika, give Hitler salutes or embrace other symbols of the nazi era.     [ thewest :: 2006-10-12 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

No swastika for us - we're Nato leaders
Hundreds of Latvians knitting 4000 pairs of woolen mittens for the November Nato summit have been told to avoid a folk symbol said to ward off evil since it looks like a Nazi swastika. A spokesperson said the Latvian Thunder Cross, or Fire Cross, will not figure in the design of any of the thousands of unique pairs some 300 Latvians are producing for Nato delegates lest it be misinterpreted. The Thunder Cross is a folklore symbol used as a charm against evil for Latvians.     [ iol :: 2006-09-12 :: Lighter side ]

Researching the history of the Swastika
Stephen Taylor has spent the last 15 years researching the history of one of the world's most infamous symbols - the Swastika - otherwise known as the Fylfot Cross. "It has been hard work, and I have discovered that there are several possible origins, including being used as a good luck sign and a symbol of peace in ancient India." The term Swastika originates from a Sanskrit word meaning "be prosperous," and has been thought to have evolved from sun worship, with the lines depicting the sun's rays. "Obviously the symbol of the swastika has very negative connotations due to its adoption by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis," he said.     [ saffronwalden :: 2006-08-31 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Restaurant named after Adolf Hitler - Posters with Swastikas
A new restaurant in India is named after Adolf Hitler and promoted with posters featuring the Nazi leader and swastikas. The owner of Hitler's Cross says he chose the name to stand out among hundreds of Mumbai eateries. "We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different." A huge portrait of a stern-looking Führer greets visitors and the interior is done out in the Nazi colours. The cross in the restaurant's name refers to the swastika that symbolised the Nazi regime. The emblem has its roots in ancient India and remains a sacred symbol for Hindus.     [ scotsman :: 2006-08-22 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

German Film Director Investigated for Wearing a Swastika
Germany is investigating the case of film director Fatih Akin who was seen wearing a T-shirt with a swastika on it, during a protest. Since using or displaying Nazi regalia and other "unconstitutional symbols" is forbidden in Germany, Akin's statement could get him a prison sentence of up to three years. There are exceptions under the German law which allow the use of swastikas for artistic and educational purposes and if its use is in a form indicating opposition to National Socialism.     [ dw-world :: 2006-08-08 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Google Earth reveals swastika fountain
Google Earth have created a bonfire in the quiet town of Maasmechelen in Belgium by revealing that the fountain looks like a swastika from the air. The fountain has spouted for over 27 years, but now the mayor says he will replace it, fearing the town will otherwise be doomed. Designer Robert Tachelet says he is "not a nazi, and I'm proud of the fountain. The Germans don't have the monopoly on the swastika, it is an ancient symbol of the Sun god". In Europe the swastika was widely used as a symbol of good luck. The hunt for swastikas will continue: Last year, a Swastika Junction was discovered in Florida.     [ theregister :: 2006-07-29 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Munich government buildings adorned with swastikas
61 years after the fall of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II there are still swastikas that adorn a central government building in Munich. Swastikas are displayed on a building that houses the economic, infrastructure and technology departments of the state of Bavaria. It is the most important government building of the southern state, in which the Nazi party began its way during the 1920's. The massive building with a facade stretching 250 meters (820 feet) was built between the years 1936-1938 and was used during the Second World War to house headquarters of the Luftwaffe - the German Air Force.     [ ynetnews :: 2006-05-09 :: Ruins & Bunkers of Third Reich ]

Why German authorities have the wrong end of the swastika
Few people would argue with Germany's ban on Nazi symbolism. But two recent cases involving a Nigerian footballer and left-wing anti-fascists show that public prosecutors are going after the wrong people. While opinions differ between Germany and, say, the US about where the limits should lie, one German restriction on freedom of expression seems uncontroversial: the ban on Nazi symbols under Article 86a of the German Strafgesetzbuch (criminal code).     [ expatica :: 2006-04-19 :: Opinions and Views of World War II ]

Green Nazi silk robe with a gold eagle and a swastika
Someone donated a strange silk robe to the American Military Museum last month. The robe is green with a gold eagle and a swastika on the right breast. It is undoubtedly cut for a woman. A couple of weeks ago, a German tourist was making his way through the Military Museum, and he recognized it immediately - it was, he said, a robe from a Nazi state-sponsored brothel. Despite the Nazi regime's condemnation of prostitution, by 1939 the government itself had opened several brothels for the troops' morale. Given the naval eagle on this robe, it would seem every branch of the military had its own home port.     [ charleston :: 2006-03-17 :: Women & WWII Love Affairs ]

Aryans on the Altar; Swastikas on the Church Bells
A Protestant parish in Berlin has grabbed an ethical dilemma by the horns with an appeal for funds to save Germany's last Nazi era church. The building's interior is full of Third Reich symbols. The aim is to turn it into a place of remembrance. The stark entrance hall is lit by a black chandelier in the shape of an iron cross. The pulpit has a wooden carving of a muscular Jesus leading a helmeted Wehrmacht soldier and surrounded by an Aryan family. The baptismal font is guarded by a wooden statue of a stormtrooper from Adolf Hitler's paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA) unit clutching his cap.     [ spiegel :: 2006-03-16 :: Ruins & Bunkers of Third Reich ]

Flying the swastika is to stay legal
It is not an offence to burn the Australian flag. Neither is it an offence to fly the Nazi swastika and the Government has no plans to make it one. But Prime Minister John Howard did say today that there were occasions when displaying a swastika flag could result in prosecution. The swastika issue surfaced when a couple displayed a Nazi flag for a week in their backyard, only removing it after intense pressure. Jenni Duncombe told the media she did not know what the flag signified. Mr Howard said many people would be offended by display of the swastika, the symbol of the Nazi regime responsible for about 35 million dead during WWII.     [ thesundaymail :: 2006-02-22 :: Germanic Culture Now ]

Tajikistan: Where the Swastika Is Welcome
Like other post-Soviet countries, Tajikistan has taken a fresh look its history following independence in 1991. The result is a state campaign to promote the notion that the Tajiks as a Aryan nation - and the widespread use of the swastika. Indeed, the revival of Aryan culture is now official policy of Dushanbe: 2006 will be celebrated in Tajikistan as the year of Aryan civilization.     [ rferl :: 2005-12-24 :: Germanic Culture Now ]

The Swastika: Sacred History and Images
For many millenia, before it was appropriated by the Nazis, the swastika was a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Almost every race, religion and continent honored the swastika -- a perfect example of the universal spread of a symbol thru the collective unconscious used by American Indians, Hindus, Buddhists, Vikings, Greeks, Romans, Celts... There are even Jewish swastikas found in ancient synagogues! American pilots used it on their planes when they fought for the French in WW1, it was the symbol for the Ladies Home Journal sponsored Girls' Club and the Boy Scouts. A town in Ontario was named Swastika in 1911 because of a lucky gold strike.     [ mw :: 2004-05-14 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

Hindus reclaim their symbol of life - Redeem the swastika
Hindus in Britain have started a campaign to "redeem" the swastika from its Nazi past and reclaim it as the symbol of life and fortune it once was. The swastika is a 5,000-year-old symbol that has been used for centuries by Hindus, Buddhists and many other traditions to denote good luck, but because of the Nazis it has come to symbolise hate, violence, death and murder. Hindus use the right-facing version of the swastika, meaning "sun", as jewellery or on doorways and buildings to bring good fortune. This was the version adopted by the Nazi Party in 1920 at Salzburg.     [ fpp :: 2004-05-14 :: Swastika: Nazi Sign, Symbol & Emblem ]

See also

'Nazi uniform'

'Nazi Helmets'

'Third Reich militaria'

'Tanks: Tiger, Panther, T-34'

'Scale models'

'Nazi flags'

'Medals'.

What's new - recent & interesting categories.

Although the articles linked from Adolf Hitler's Third Reich 1933-1945 and World War II in the News are reviewed and specially selected, they do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, who is not responsible for the content of any external sites. This service is © Joni Nuutinen 2005-2008. All rights reserved.