About the Nazi Flag

The Nazi flag, and the Nazis who bore it, is an essential part of world history. Under this flag, some of the most flagrant atrocities were committed, and under this flag, one man was allowed to engineer the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. It stands today as a symbol of that dark period in history.

History

On March 12, 1933, the Nazi flag was accepted as one of two national flags of Germany. This corresponded with the rise of the Nazi party to power; when Adolf Hitler gave himself the title of "Fuhrer" in 1935, the Nazi flag was made the only legal flag of Germany. This changed in 1946, when a divided Germany claimed no national flag. Today, the Nazi flag and swastika (see Identification) are banned in Germany and in several other countries as a universal symbol of hate.

Identification

The Nazi flag bears a red background with a white circle, and within the white circle is a swastika. The red is said to symbolize socialism, while the white symbolizes German nationhood and nationality. The swastika, however, is a very old symbol. Originally considered a harbinger of luck and good fortune, or a symbol of balance and harmony. It features an equal-sided cross tilted at a 45-degree angle, with additional arms extending at right angles at the end of the cross-arms. Hitler used it as a symbol of the creative work and ultimate victory of the Aryan man, something it had been associated with before Hitler's use.

Significance

The significance of the flag is both essential to history and a reminder of one of the darkest periods in modern times. Under this flag, the Jewish populations of Europe were killed in mass numbers, and those that remained alive were stripped of their dignity in the horrific concentration camps. It has become a symbol of intolerance, hate and antisemitism that was so prevalent while this flag was raised. Several countries (including Brazil and Germany) have outlawed the symbol of the swastika, but several Asian countries, who used the symbol in traditional religious contexts (though the swastika actually faces the other way from the Nazi swastika), still continue to employ it. In the United States, it is a frequent issue because the freedom of expression allows citizens to wear and say what they like, but it is a powerful symbol of hate and white supremacy.

Geography

The flag was used exclusively in Germany as a national flag. Outside of the country, groups used the flag to show their support for Nazism and the Nazi party, and is still found today in parties claiming Neo-Nazi affiliation.

Warning

This flag and the symbol of the swastika are not to be taken lightly, nor used in an offhand or amusing way. This flag meant death, torture and violation of basic human rights to a huge population, and it is still a powerful symbol of antisemitism and hate. It is not "cool," "tough" and does not have any desirable quality. It is a symbol of cruelty and abomination.