Holocaust
- The Swastika
While commonly
associated with Nazi Germany, the swastika symbol is more than 3,000
years old. The term "Swastika" was originally the name for a hooked
cross in Sanskrit, and swastikas have been found on artifacts, such as
coins and pottery, from the ancient city of Troy.
Not only are swastikas
associated with ancient Troy, the symbols are found in many other
cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, Indian and southern European. By
the Middle Ages, the swastika was a well-known symbol and had many
different names, depending on the country. In some cultures, such as in
ancient China, the symbol is turned counterclockwise (sauvastika).
Throughout its history,
the swastika represented life, sun, power, strength and good luck. In
the early 20th century, it was still considered a positive
symbol. During World War I, it was found on shoulder patches of members
of the American 45th Division and the Finnish air force. Only
after the Nazi period did its connotation change.
German nationalists
chose to use the swastika in the mid-19th century because it was
associated with the Aryan race and Germanic history. At the end of the
19th century, German nationalists used the symbol on
periodicals and for the official emblem of the German Gymnasts’ League.
By the 20th century, it was a common symbol used in Germany
to represent German nationalism and pride, for example, as the emblem
for the Wandervogel, a German youth group. Swastikas also were used,
however, in anti-Semitic periodicals.
The swastika officially
became the emblem for the Nazi Party on August, 7, 1920, at the Salzburg
Congress. Describing the new flag in Mein Kampf, Hitler said the
swastika symbolized the victory of the Aryan man.
Today the symbol is most
commonly associated with Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, neo-Nazis and
other hate groups.
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