The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the swastika, notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi 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 by neo-Nazis.
The Nazis' principal symbol was the swastika, which the newly established Nazi Party formally adopted in 1920. The formal symbol of the party was the Parteiadler, an eagle atop a swastika.
Nazi era coat of arms of Thuringia with the lion holding a swastika. The swastika was removed in 1945.
Under the Nazi regime, government bodies were encouraged to remove religious symbolism from their heraldry. Few German councils actually changed their often ancient symbols. Some, however, did, including Coburg, which replaced the Moor's head representing Saint Maurice on their arms with a sword and swastika, and Thuringia, which added a swastika to the paws of their lion.
Other symbols and insignia
Letters of the Armanen runes invented by Guido von List were used by the SS, particularly the Doppel Siegrune, based on the historical sowilo 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 from Eihwaz, Tiwaz, Algiz and Othala.
The public display of Nazi symbols and gestures are today banned by law in many countries, including Australia (since 2024), Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany (see Strafgesetzbuch 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 as USK. The move was made to bring the legislation in line with films and other arts.
Usage by neo-Nazi groups
Many symbols used by the Nazis have further been appropriated by neo-Nazi groups, including a number of runes: the so-called Black Sun, derived from a mosaic floor in Himmler's remodel of Wewelsburg; and the Celtic cross, originally a symbol used to represent pre-Christian and Christian European groups such as the Irish.
Neo-Nazis also employ various number symbols:
18, code for Adolf Hitler. The number comes from the position of the letters in the alphabet: A = 1, H = 8.
88, code for "Heil Hitler", a phrase used in the Nazi salute. Also used as a reference to the "88 Precepts", a manifesto written by white supremacistDavid Lane.
14, from the Fourteen Words coined by David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."
14 and 88 are sometimes combined with each other (i.e. 14/88, 8814, 1488). They are also sometimes depicted on dice.
In 1997, Wolfgang Fröhlich, a Holocaust denier and former district council member for the Freedom Party of Austria, alleged that Adolf Hitler's favorite food was egg dumplings (Eiernockerl). Some restaurants in Austria started advertising the dish as a "daily special" for the 20th of April, which is Hitler's date of birth, and although the allegation about the dish has never been historically confirmed, some neofascists began eating it as a symbolic food to celebrate Hitler's birthday.
^ Hilmar 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. Retrieved 28 January 2025. It is now unlawful to perform the Nazi salute in public or to publicly display, or trade in, Nazi hate symbols, with the Albanese 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. Retrieved 12 December 2016.