Hakenkreuz
The Hakenkreuz is an ancient symbol of Nordic and Germanic origins. The word hakenkreuz translates to "Hooked Cross" or "Hook Cross." Since the rise and fall of the Nazi Third Reich in Germany, and the widespread use of the hakenkreuz in Nazi Germany[1], the hakenkreuz has frequently been confused with the similar in appearance, swastika, in the West.[2] While the appearance of the hakenkreuz resembles the shape of the swastika, these two symbols are considered to be distinct and separate in their meaning in the East. While the swastika is an ancient symbol of auspiciousness to many people from a diverse array of cultures, including Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and numerous Indigenous cultures from around the world, the hakenkreuz has been associated since World War II with Neo-Nazism, Fascism, Antisemitism, and other forms of hatred and Xenophobia.
Efforts by cultures and communities that revere the swastika symbol, led primarily by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist groups[3], are working—as of 2022—to restore the swastika globally to its status as a nearly universal symbol of good luck and auspiciousness.[4] Other groups, such as those that see the hakenkreuz as too closely resembling the swastika, including Christian and Jewish groups[5], have expressed reservations over the restoration of the swastika symbol to its once more prominent role around the world as a positive symbol.[6]
Swastika
The swastika can appear very similar to a hakenkreuz, but is considered in the East to be fundamentally distinct, without any of the negative connotations or associations intrinsic to the hakenkreuz in the West.
Here are some examples of the swastika:
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History
The swastika as a symbol dates back to pre-history, before the keeping of written records, and ancient use of the swastika has been found coming from nearly every culture of the world today and nearly every continent.[7]
Hakenkreuz
Here are some examples of the hakenkreuz, or hooked cross:
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The hakenkreuz, or hooked-cross used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party as the primary symbol of the Third Reich. -
Adolf Hitler's personal Standard -
Anti-Nazi hakenkreuz graffiti showing a person with a club running after the hakenkreuz. -
The hakenkreuz used as a symbol of hate, as graffiti on Jewish tombstones in Germany.
Association with Hitler and the Nazi Party
Neither Adolf Hitler, nor the Nazi party used the word "swastika" to refer to their symbol[8], but rather only ever spoke of the symbol they used as a hakenkreuz. Many regions throughout the Western world continue to refer to both symbols as swastikas, making little to no distinction between the symbol of auspiciousness—the swastika—and the symbol associated with Nazi Germany, the hakenkreuz.[9]
Contemporary use and distinguishing between the two symbols
Experts in the study of the swastika[10], sometimes called 'swastikalists', have suggested that the key to understanding which symbol is which given the similar appearance between a hakenkreuz and swastika is to look to the context within which the respective symbol is being used or displayed. When the symbol is used for religious purposes, or as a good luck charm, then the symbol is most probably a swastika. Contrarily, when the symbol in question is used as a symbol of hate, graffiti, or to intimidate, then the symbol is certainly a hakenkreuz.[9]
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Girl named Swastika. The name 'Swastika' is used in Hindu culture, and is distinct from the hakenkreuz. -
Town in Ontario, Canada called 'Swastika' -
A Hindu temple in Bali, Indonesia with swastika sign -
Clear use of hakenkreuz as graffiti or vandalism in Palestinian city of Nablus.
See also
- Buddhist symbolism
- Hindu symbolism
- Jain symbols
- Raëlism
- Steven Heller (design writer)
- Swastika
References
- ↑ Jain Campion, Mukti (23 October 2014). "How the world loved the swastika - until Hitler stole it". BBC News. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Heller, Steven (9 March 2021). "The Daily Heller: Anti-Hate Symbol Law Will Foster More Hate". www.printmag.com. PRINT. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Sunder, Kalpana. "The ancient symbol that was hijacked by evil". www.bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Skidmore, James M. (September 2017). "How Nazis twisted the swastika into a symbol of hate". National Post. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Blumberg, Antonia (4 February 2015). "The Swastika, An Ancient Symbol Of Prosperity, Struggles To Overcome Nazi Connections". www.huffpost.com. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Quito, Anne. "Can the swastika ever reclaim its original meaning?". qz.com. Quartz. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ Wilson, Thomas (1898). The Swastika: The Earliest Known Symbol, And Its Migrations; With Observations On The Migration Of Certain Industries In Pre-Historic Times. Washington D.C.: Judd & Detweiler Printers. pp. 765–767. Search this book on
- ↑ Nakagaki, T. K. (2018). The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross : Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. pp. 137–150. ISBN 978-1-61172-045-7. Search this book on
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Heller, Steven (2019). The swastika and symbols of hate : extremist iconography today. New York: Allworth Press. pp. 169–180. ISBN 978-1-62153-719-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Heller, Steven (2019). The swastika and symbols of hate : extremist iconography today. New York: Allworth Press. pp. 181–183. ISBN 978-1-62153-719-9. Search this book on
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